


Making Money Is Not That Easy

by HazyBlue



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boss Eren Yeager, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Fluff, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Older Eren Yeager, Rich Eren Yeager, Secretary Levi, Slow Build, Top Eren Yeager, Younger Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), ereri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2018-06-07 13:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6806764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazyBlue/pseuds/HazyBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi was going to have a really, really important job interview. He had prepared very carefully for this day so nothing, <em>absolutely nothing</em>, could go wrong.<br/>What he didn’t expect was that the bastard who had spilt all his matcha latte on Levi’s white shirt at the cafe was also his new boss.</p><p> <br/><em>Oh fuck.</em><br/><em>This is a joke right?</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first SNK fanfic, so please feedback! Your comments mean a lot to me.  
> Thank you! And hope you enjoy the work.

“Hey hey! What are you doing?”

 

A voice called out as Levi’s hand was swatted away; the apple in his hand was now out of reach.

 

“Trying to eat breakfast? Hey give it back Farlan!” He answered annoyingly when standing on his tiptoes trying to reach the apple in the taller man’s hand. His effort was to no avail as said man was nearly thirty centimeters taller than him. Farlan appeared to be very amused with his hand all the way above his head and a smirk on his face, watching Levi struggle. _Fucking tall bastard._ Levi mumbled under his breath. He wouldn’t have to play jump and catch like this if this apple wasn’t the _only_ edible thing in the apartment. Well, not really the only but everything else had to be cooked, so they’re out of the question.

 

“This is hardly a decent meal, Levi.”

 

Farlan said in _that_ motherly tone. Levi huffed and mentally added fruits to his shopping list.

 

“Just sit down. I’ll make you something.”    

 

“But I don’t have time!”

 

Really, Levi didn’t hate cooking at all. In fact he was quite good at it. He was the one in charge of their lunches and dinners _and_ suppers when the kids – Farlan and Isabel – were too busy with their homework. _And that’s literally everyday._ Not that Levi really minded though. _But cooking when pressed for time is really a pain in the ass._

 

“Yes you do! It’s like what? 7 o’clock? You have like an hour to eat your breakfast!” Farlan replied while putting on an apron and turning on the stove. Levi, deciding that he couldn’t argue anymore, turned around to go through his briefcase instead. He had checked it four or five times yesterday, to make sure everything he needed was in there. _Better safe than sorry._ He checked it twice, turned on his phone to double-check the time before a plate was placed in front of him.

 

Needless to say, it was _huge._ There was some bacon and an egg, some slices of sausage, some salad _and_ pancakes with honey on top. Levi wondered how Farlan could manage all of this in five minutes. It was a _little_ bit much. _Well, it’s too much for me._ But a big breakfast once in a while wouldn’t cause any harm, right?

 

“It’s big.” That was all Levi could manage at the time.

 

“It’s not _that_ much. But I figure you’ll need the energy for today.” Farlan laughed as Levi poked at his food and started to devour it.

 

“Yeah, today is really important right?” A female voice boomed next to him. Isabel, still in her pink pajamas, propped her chin in her palm as she yawned and rubbed at her eyes sleepily.

 

“Why don’t you sleep more?” Levi asked why chewing the salad. The girl had stayed up late last night, and although he always found that sleepy manner endearing, he wanted his baby sister to have her beauty sleep.

 

“Want to kiss you goodbye, heh!” Isabel waved her hand as Levi rolled his eyes.

 

“It’s not like I’m going abroad or anything. It’s just a normal interview.” He tried to be calm and moved on to the pancakes. This was his favorite breakfast, but he really didn’t found it appetizing today.

 

“Don’t worry. You’ll do just fine!” Farlan sit down across the table, arms folded neatly in front of him, and looked at Levi.

 

“Shut up! I’m not worried!” He deadpanned.

 

“Uh huh.” Farlan raised an eyebrow while both of them stared at him with the _who-do-you-think-you-are-lying-to_ look. “I’m not lying.” Levi mumbled, too quietly for them to hear. But really, he felt like his stomach was full of butterflies, felt his veins beating in his throat and wondered how long since the last time he felt this nervous. _Probably quite a few years…_

 

He didn’t realize he had tuned out Farlan and Isabel’s voices until a hand came in contact with his back.

 

“Big bro, you’re lucky Farlan got up early today, or else you would have come to that interview on an empty stomach! Breakfast is really important, especially on a day like this!”

 

“Yeah. Thanks Mommy Daddy.” He rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless as he stood up and walked over to the sink to wash the dish.

 

“Just put it there. I’ll wash it later.” Farlan called behind him. _I wouldn’t want any stain on my shirt anyway._ “Thanks” He gave the man a pat on the back before walking over to the front door to put on his shoes

 

Isabel handed him his black blazer and his briefcase as he finished tying his grey tie. He quickly put it on and smoothed the invisible crease on his suit, as if the action could calm his nerves. Isabel gave him peck on the cheek. “Break a leg, big bro!” Farlan just leaned on the wall with his arms crossed and smiled at him. “We’ll wait for you at home.”

 

Levi couldn’t help smiling. It was exactly the same feeling on the day he took his university entrance exam, those same smiles, same playful eyes, only they had grown taller and bigger. _Time sure flies huh._ “Thanks guys. I’m leaving now.” Levi turned the knob and stepped outside, taking one last glance at the duo inside before smiling a bit and closed the door. He could faintly hear Isabel’s voice coming from the other side _“Go go big bro! Woohoo!”_ and smirked as he shook his head and walked towards the elevator. _Still a kid._

 

The bus stop was right in front of the apartment block, which was one of the reasons he had chosen this place to live. He definitely wouldn’t want to be soaked running under the rain from the bus stop to home and then leaving traces of water and mud all over his apartment. Levi cringed at the image and glanced at his watch. _7:20._ What if the bus didn’t come on time today? What if it broke down in the middle of the road? _I would have to call a cab, and that would be a fucking waste of money._ He sighed. _God I really need this job._

 

Thankfully, the bus arrived five minutes later. Levi stepped on the bus and had to stop himself from sighing in relief. Usually it was crowded with high schoolers but today there were only a few people on the bus. Levi didn’t do really well with people, actually he sucked at communicating. He hated crowds and the only reason he had gone to parties and proms in high school was because Hanji had always dragged him along as her date. It really surprising how he’d got a group of friends and had kept in touch with them since leaving high school. He didn’t talk much with them anymore, _well except for Hanji_ , but they were always there when he needed.

 

His phone buzzed: a message from Hanji. _Speak of the devil._ He swiped across the screen. _[Good luck babe ;) Kick their asses n show ‘em how sexy u r ;))))]._ He smirked and pocketed his phone. He didn’t text back, looking outside the window instead. He’d got to the city center.

 

Familiar skyscrapers filled his view, and from here he could make out the outline of Sina building – the place he had worked his ass off to get into. Sina Corporation – one of the biggest, wealthiest companies in the country – had started as a transport company at first but now had expanded its business into many other fields, which include literally _everything_ you could think of. And it had developed even more since last year with the new chairman – who was also the former chairman’s son. Anyway, Sina Corps is every student’s dream: stable income even when on work trial (and even higher when you officially got hired) and an elite work environment. Of course, along with its reputation is the hard-as-fuck recruitment. It was said that only five percent of the applicants got to set the foot in the company and even then they had to maintain their good performances to keep the positions. Therefore, when Levi had got an email – _the_ email - saying that he was qualified for the interview he’d had to stop himself from jumping around the apartment in joy. Sure, it was only the first step but he _did_ have more chances to be hired. _And today is the judgement day._ He sighed as he stepped out of the bus. Levi had prepared really carefully for today and so nothing, _absolutely nothing_ , could go wrong.

 

Or so he hoped.

 

The bus stopped right in front of the Garrison Cafe – a place he had grown _too_ familiar with. He had worked here during his university years. The salary was not exceptionally high, but it had helped him cover his rent and bills, not to mention its owner – old man Pixis – was quite easy to get along with, so he guessed it had been more than enough. He looked at his watch, _7:40_. It was only a five-minute walk from here to the building so he had some time to get a cup of tea.  He pushed the glass door open and stepped inside the rather modest but warm and well-decorated coffee shop. The place was filled with soft instrumental music; the faint smell of baked goods and coffee lingered in the air. There were a few people in the corner enjoying their breakfast and chatting quietly in the process. Thankfully the line wasn’t long; there were only three customers in front of him: a man and two girls. The man took his precious time looking at the menu and asking about the cup sizes. Levi, having got used to dealing with customers, didn’t really get impatient with this. He paid him no mind until he heard the girls start to whisper in a barely audible voice. Levi didn’t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, but he couldn’t really blame himself for having such good ears, right?

_“Wow he looks like an actor, even his back is so handsome!”_

_“Yeah, he’s really tall and built too. Bet it’s all muscles under those layers!”_

_“Ooh! Hey-….”_

 

Levi tuned the girls out as he took a look at the man. Yup, definitely tall, but all he could see was the navy blue suit that screamed money. Its cost must be enough to feed him, Isabel and Farlan for a whole month. The man finished ordering, a large matcha latte or something like that, and stepped out of the line waiting for his beverage. He flashed those girls a smiled and their face got redder and redder. When his eyes met Levi’s expressionless one, that smile turned into… a smirk? It made him a little bit self-conscious; because, _fuck_ , no one smirked at people for no reason. He could understand the bastard’s flirtatious smile, but not that annoying smirk. _But now that I talk about it, doesn’t he look somewhat familiar?_ Brown hair slicked back, big turquoise eyes, slightly tanned skin… Levi narrowed his eyes, not even making an effort to hide his stare at the man while trying to jog his memory. _One of the customers? Some random guy at the university? Oh shit! Is he in those porn videos?_ When he decided he couldn’t remember (and when that smirk didn’t flatter), Levi just rolled his eyes and looked straight forward. He faintly heard the sound of phone ringing and noticed the man walk out from the corner of his eye. Before he could think more, the petite blond girl behind the counter – Krista – chirped:

 

“Good morning Levi! So what’s for today?” Her smile was so bright that Levi wondered if her jaw would hurt at the end of the day. He himself couldn’t even smile longer than one minute.

 

“Medium black tea with non-fat milk, please.”

 

“Okay, that’s-”

 

Having remembered all the prices long before, Levi handed her the money even before she finished working out the total in the cash register. The blonde’s smile grew bigger as she took the cash and eyed him up and down mischievously.

 

“A date?”

 

“Job interview.” He rolled his eyes. _Really…_ Why everyone kept asking that, he didn’t know. He was living pretty well without a date or a lover or something like that. Thank you.

 

“Oh good luck anyway!” She didn’t seem disappointed a bit, still smiling fondly at him.

 

He nodded and mumbled a “thank you”, before walking to the pick-up counter. The man in the expensive suit had come back to pick up his drink and for some reasons was now standing right in front of the counter, one hand holding the cup while the other typing furiously on his phone ( _an also-very-expensive-smartphone, may I add)._ Levi didn’t pay much attention, eyeing everything around him absentmindedly and as a result, not noticing the man had turned around with his eyes still glued on his phone.

 

It all happened too fast that Levi couldn’t react. One second the man was still two meters away from him, and the other he felt like he was hitting a brick wall and then suddenly all the liquid in the man’s cup was on Levi’s shirt.

_Fuck._

 

“Oh shit! I’m really sorry!”

_Fuck. Fuck._

 

“I’ll get some tissue.”

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

 

The man was dabbing at his shirt with a tissue when he snatched it out and started rubbing furiously. _Shit. Oh God no._

 

“Hey, sorry, I didn’t see you! I can-”

_Am I invisible? You bastard._ “Shut the fuck up! Will you buy another shirt for me?” He headed towards the restroom door, hand still continuing its previous task.

 

“Ye-“

 

“Of course you won’t! So just fucking stay.away.from.me!” He gritted through his teeth before slamming the door shut in that bastard’s face.

_Fuck no. Not today._

 

After a lot of water (and a lot of cursing), the green stain refused to go away. It had got lighter, but still visible. He looked at his watch. _7:50._ He couldn’t afford to go back home and change into another shirt now. He would definitely be late. But he couldn’t go to the interview with a dirty shirt either. _Why is this happening to me?_ Thankfully Levi hadn’t lost his mind, yet. He grabbed his briefcase, swung the door open and headed straight for the glass door.

 

“Hey, your tea!”

 

“Shove it up your fucking ass!” Levi shouted without looking back as he stomped out of the shop.

 

The nearest laundromat is only two blocks away. Hopefully he could get his shirt cleaned on time.

 

 

“Can’t you do it faster please? I really don’t have thirty minutes.”

 

“Sorry sir, it’s our fastest service.” The girl said apologetically. He thanked her anyway and stepped out of the laundromat. He sighed, frustrated. _I’m screwed._ No shop opened at this hour. So he did what he could: buttoned up his blazer and hoped it could cover most of the stain. A small part of it was still visible, near the collar, but only if you squinted hard enough. He prayed, that no one would notice it. _God, please be gentle._


	2. Chapter 2

“Good morning sir. Can I help you?”

 

“Good morning, I’m Levi Ackerman. I’m here for an interview for HR position.”

 

The receptionist – Mina Carolina, as on her name tag – smiled at him and gestured the line of grey plush chairs lining the wall. “Yes, Mr. Ackerman, please wait here, I’ll inform the interviewer.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

He sat down stiffly. He had to keep the buttons of his blazer on so it tugged a little bit uncomfortably when he sat .The front of his shirt was now dry but sticky from all the milk and sugar. He silently cursed the one who had given him all of this. _Better not let me see you again, you fucking asshole._ Oh, but he did say sorry, didn’t he? _Well, set it aside, I need to pass the interview first._

He looked around in awe. To make it simple, the building was huge and shining. Everything was spotless. The lobby was so bright with shiny floor that it looked like a modern castle. He was still examining every corner when a soft voice called out.

 

“Mr. Ackerman?”

 

A girl with strawberry hair smiled kindly at him when still keeping the professional manner. He stood up immediately and shook her hand.

 

“I’m Petra Ral, please follow me.”

 

They reach the 10th floor. The elevator opened, revealing a hallway with glass doors either side. They passed some similar offices and then some private offices for managers. In the end of the hallway was a meeting room with a large oval table in the middle. A short-haired woman opened the door and smiled.

 

“You must be Mr. Ackerman. I’m Nanaba Zacharius, Recruitment Mangager of HR Department.”

 

He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Zacharius.”

 

“Call me Nanaba. Can I call you Levi?” She led him into the room and gestured for him to sit down.

 

“Yeah.” He felt a bit more relaxed as Nanaba took the seat across the table. She smiled at him kindly. “Well, it’s still a little bit early so the CEO is not here.” She swiped across the phone to look at the time.

 

“The CEO?” He asked, confused. As far as he knew, he had applied for an entry-level position, not a C-level job. So what was the CEO doing here anyway?

 

“Yeah, the CEO. He sometimes attends interviews when having free time. Nervous?”

 

“A little bit.” _A lot, actually._ He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was going to meet the CEO of Sina Corporation, on his first job interview. _Shit._ His hands were trembling now.

 

Nanaba laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll still be your main interviewer.” _So that means he’s also going to interview me? Shit._ He felt like everything he had prepared was slowly flying away. He was fighting the urge to smash his head on the table when she tapped at his hand. “Oh, he’s here.”

 

Nanaba walked around the table towards the door when Levi stood up and follow after her.

 

“Mr. Jaeger, this is Mr. Ackerman, our interviewee today.” She then turned to him. “Levi, this is Mr. Eren Jaeger, our CEO.”

 

Navy blue suit, brown hair, bluish green eyes that has a tint of yellow…

 

That smirk.

 

_Oh fuck._

_This is a joke right?_

It was the same bastard who had spilled all his fucking matcha latte on Levi’s shirt. _No wonder he was so familiar. The asshole is on the magazines and Internet all the time._ He automatically shook the CEO’s extended hand, head dizzy and legs wobbling. He had told the CEO of Sina Corporation to shove a cup up his ass. _I’m officially screwed._

“Levi, are you okay?” Nanaba’s voice pulled him out of his own small world. She looked genuinely concerned. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He mumbled.

 

“So should we start then?”

 

 

 

The interview was going on pretty normal, with Nanaba asking all the questions and the CEO just sitting there with an unreadable face. His chance to get into the company was less now, but he guessed he was doing fine, because Nanaba seemed pleased with his answers. After about more than half an hour – which seemed like just five minutes, she closed her notebook. “Well, I guess that is it. Ere… Mr. Jaeger, do you have any question for him?”

 

The CEO leaned in a bit, placed his elbows on the table. Levi had been trying to ignore the brown-haired man during the interview. Now he felt like the other was burning a hole on his face with his eyes. _This is not going to be good._

“So, Mr. Ackerman…” Eren Jaeger began in his deep and strong voice that made Levi shivered. “I believe that in our email we have indicated _very_ clearly that you should wear _appropriate_ clothes to the interview.” _Don’t tell me…_ “So _why_ do you think a stained shirt is called _appropriate_ in Sina?” Levi swore he could see the smirk in that bastard’s eyes again.

 

_Now you can sit there and say that huh? You fucking asshole._

Regaining his composure, Levi calmly answered “First, I apologize for not being _appropriate_ enough. I had a _little_ _accident_ on the way here, and didn’t have enough time to change into another shirt. I had to choose between being on time and a clean shirt. And if I had chosen the latter, I don’t know if I would be sitting here to explain right now.” Levi was practically glaring at the man right now, which he knew he shouldn’t. He didn’t know if he would get the job or not. And glaring at the CEO just made it less possible to happen.

 

Eren Jaeger nodded and stood up, which Nanaba and Levi followed suit. He grabbed Levi hand in a typical handshake. Levi couldn’t help thinking that he somehow enjoyed the feeling of Eren’s hand. His hand was bigger than that of Levi, a little rough but warm. Levi’s hand fit comfortably in the man’s, and a small part of him just wanted to stay like that. _You are crazy._ Levi wanted to slap himself so bad.

“Have you two met before?” Nanaba asked when the CEO had left.

 

“Huh? Uh, not really.” There is no good telling her about the accident. It could ruin his chance even more.

 

“Is that so? Because he’s never asked anyone like that.” She seemed thoughtful as they headed towards the elevator.

 

 _Maybe just because he’s an asshole._ Levi stopped himself from saying that out loud. He was not that suicidal, thank you.

 

“Have you ever come here?” She changed the subject while they were waiting for the elevator.

 

“No, this is my first time.” He looked around before adding. “It’s really nice, the building I mean.”

 

Nanaba laughed. “Isn’t it? I thought the same when I first stepped in the company. And it wasn’t half as beautiful as it is now.” She continued. “The company reconstructed the building three years ago. It wasn’t all glass and see-through office like this then.” They stepped into the elevator. There was no one inside. This was when Levi noticed the missing of the 15th floor button.

 

“Can I ask why there isn’t the 15th floor?” Levi blurted out before he could stop it. Hey, he was curious. There was the 13th floor but not the 15th floor. Maybe there were some stories behind it? Like some ghost wandering there and it became an abandoned floor, and no one who ever came to that floor came back alive. Some people said they had seen the lights of the 15th floor turned on at midnight. _God, you should have stopped believing in those stories long ago._

“You really want to know?” Nanaba asked in a deadly quiet voice. _Oh shit, there is a ghost, isn’t there?_ Levi nodded weakly before he knew it. His curiosity got the best of him.

 

She continued in that voice that made Levi’s hair stand. “You’ve heard the rumor about the lights turning on at midnight on the 15th floor? It began like thirty years ago, when the former president took over the company. After a few years, it stopped. Well not really stopped, it still happened but very rarely. And then when Eren Jaeger became the new CEO, it came back, like almost everyday. The 15th floor button has never been there in the first place. No one dares to find a way to access the floor-”

 

Levi’s face was as white as a sheet now. _Shit. So the ghost thing is real._ He regretted asking Nanaba about it. The story would follow him for the rest of his life. Now he really understood the quote _some things are best left unknown._

 

“Scared?” Nanaba cocked her head. He nodded.

 

“Still want to work here?” Another nod. Even if this place was full of ghosts he still wanted the job. _Hell_ , no one could say no to money. Well, at least him.

 

Nanaba laughter filled the elevator. “God, you’re making me feel guilty.” _What?_ At Levi’s confused face, she went on. “There isn’t a ghost you know. But you will still be dead if you dare to go to that floor.” 

 

“So what’s there?” _Fuck Levi, control your own mouth._ He braced himself for anything creepy Nanaba would tell next.

 

“The CEO’s office.” _Huh? That’s it?_ “His office is on the 14th and 15th floor, like a double floor office.” _Who the hell needs two floors for their office anyway?_ Even though the top floors are much smaller than the lower ones, due to the building’s shape, but wasn’t that a little too much for an office? _Unless he has some shit there, like a laboratory for some crazy experiments on human bodies._ Wow, he didn’t know he got such a wild imagination.

“And I didn’t joke when I said you would be dead if you dared to step your foot there.” Her face was dead serious. Levi gulped and nodded weakly. Nanaba burst out laughing as they got out of the elevator “God, you’re so cute!”

 

They were at the main door when her phone went off. “Sorry, I really want to talk with you some more but boss man is calling. I hope to see you again, Levi!”

 

“Goodbye. Thank you for today, Ms. Nanaba.” He extended his hand.

 

“Eh, no need to be so formal. Nanaba is fine!” She shook his hand anyway. “So bye Levi! Have a good day.” She smiled brightly and waved him goodbye.

 

“Thank you. You too.”

 

* * *

 

 “What is it, Eren?”

 

Eren looked up from the laptop. Nanaba had been his friend since they were kids, despite her being two years older than him. Even when he became the CEO, her attitude towards him didn’t change. Nanaba was now standing in front of his desk with a hand on her hips, eyes narrowed inspecting him.

 

“It’s just something involving your work. Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“You never call me on my cellphone unless you have some _ulterior motives_ in your dirty mind. So spill.”

 

“Well I just want to ask about the applicants for HR Department.” He shrugged, not denying the woman’s accusation. “Have you decided?”

 

Nanaba’s eyed him suspiciously. “Yeah, why?”

 

“Who is it?” Eren was now leaning forward. When she didn’t response, he pushed on. “C’mon, tell me.”

 

“Why do you want to know? Everyone is really good, but three of them really stand out.” She sighed. Eren raised his brows, demanding more.

 

“Ilse Langnar, Eld Jinn and Levi Ackerman.”

 

Eren leaned back to his chair while Nanaba sat down on the couch. “Can you take the other two and… leave Ackerman for me?”

 

Nanaba raised an eyebrow. “What kind of request is that?”

 

“I need a secretary. Frieda is going to resign next month.” Well, that was good enough for a reason, wasn’t it?

 

“So? You can put it on the recruitment page.” Her eyes turned mischievous “And why him? Love at first sight eh?”

 

“He’s just suitable for the job, that’s all.” Eren managed to say without blinking or squirming under Nanaba’s gaze. The woman had an ability to make you spill out everything to her.

 

“Don’t give me that shit, Jaeger. I’ve known you for too long. And beside, Levi is too precious a baby to be left with a perverted old man like you.” She snickered.

 

“He’s really good, Nanaba. You know I won’t do something to put the company in jeopardy just for my own good.” He sighed before looking back at the laptop screen. “Then how about this? You leave him to me for one year. If things don’t work out, I’ll give him back to you.”

 

“You are not playing fair, Eren. And Levi won’t be happy to know that you trade him around like some market goods.” Nanaba’s voice was quiet, her face serious and he felt something tug in his gut, but he quickly pushed it away.

 

He was Eren Jaeger. And Eren Jaeger always got what he wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

Levi was now sitting in front of his laptop. His heart was beating furiously as he opened the email. He scrolled down the mail, fingers shaking. If he didn’t get the job, the three of them would stick with instant noodle for the next few months.

_[…We are really sorry to inform that you are not the best choice for the position…]_

His heart dropped at the words, but he quickly recovered. He had looked for some other places just in case. _Better get started then._ He could always re-apply later.

 

_[…However, we are still in need of an executive secretary. And taking into account your great performance at the interview, you are very suitable for this position…]_

_Oh._

He read and reread it again, to make sure that he wasn’t seeing things. This was too good to be true. _Like a blessing in disguise._ He didn’t apply for this, but if they thought he was good enough, he was more than happy to take the offer.

 

_[You will work directly under the CEO. Although this is not what you have applied for, if you are interested, please contact us for specific job description…]_

_Wait a minute._ Work directly under the CEO? That asshole? _Fuck._ He couldn’t stand seeing that bastard for any more second. It wasn’t all because of the incident. Something about that smug face made him a little bit… unsettled. Like a bad omen.

But Eren Jaeger didn’t _actually_ do anything, did he? It wasn’t like he had spilled the drink on purpose. And besides, he did say sorry right? But that bastard had the balls to ask him that fucking question. Maybe it was why he didn’t get the job. But hey, didn’t that position have to be chosen by the CEO himself? Sure, Eren Jaeger had attended his interview, but the question seemed like just to provoke him. _So why?_ He didn’t get it.

 

 _Oh._ Maybe that bastard would make him his secretary and then treat him so badly that he couldn’t stand it anymore, and then he would have to hand in the resignation himself. _It sounds logical enough._ But then again, why would he hire Levi in the first place? Wouldn’t it be easier just to say that he wasn’t qualified for the job? He was confused, and his head started to hurt from all the thinking.

 

After tons of consideration, Levi decided to take it. He still didn’t like Eren Jaeger, but his need for money won. He wanted to get out of this rundown apartment. He wanted a car. He wanted to go shopping without worrying about the price. He wanted Farlan and Isabel to be able to study what they liked without being troubled by the school fees. Levi wanted a lot of things, and he would be a total idiot to turn down such a wonderful offer. And it was not everyday that he got a second chance like this. _It’s like a fucking miracle. And I would stick with it no matter what trick you play, Eren Jaeger._

 

 

 

So here he was, on the 14th floor of Sina building, hands nervously tugging at his pants while eyes darting around. The floor was much smaller than the HR Department’s one. There was a glass wall separated the floor into two sides. The side that connected with the elevator was for secretary and the other for the CEO with full-length windows. He didn’t get to inspect for long though, because Frieda Reiss, his instructor, as he had been informed, arrived.

 

“Hi, you must be Levi! Welcome to Sina Corporation! I’m Frieda, I will be instructing you for the next two weeks. Hope we’ll get along.” Levi was expecting the executive secretary to be an old stern woman. Instead, standing in front of him now was a beautiful young woman with shoulder-length black hair and shining eyes.

 

“Thank you, I’ll do my best.” He bowed slightly, didn’t know what to say other than that.

 

“Nanaba’s right. You’re so cute!” She squeaked and pinched his cheek. Levi felt his face heat up, partly because he wasn’t used to body contact. It was not unusual that people told him he was “cute”, that he looked younger than his real age, but he was sure it was mostly because of his height. He was shorter than average men, _hell_ , he was even shorter than women. It used to disturb him before, but what he lacked in height he made up for his strong built. Levi was not what people called “bulky”, but he had some muscles in him too. _Definitely not less than that Eren Jaeger._

 

“It’s still a bit early, so let’s get through the company regulations first, shall we? Sit down. I know you probably knew but we should go through them again just to make sure. Work hours begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., with one-hour lunch break at noon. You don’t have to dress too formal, executive casual is accepted…”   

 

The CEO arrived fifteen minute later, in a grey suit and dark purple ties. Eren Jaeger acknowledged his greeting with a nod.

“Welcome, Mr. Ackerman. I hope you’re a fast learner, because you’ll be on your own in two weeks. And you know what happens if you don’t live up to expectations.” He said in that cool voice, face expressionless except for a smirk in the end, the smirk that Levi despised so much.

 

“Don’t worry boss! I’ll teach him well and make sure he’s ready for you!” Frieda’s voice rang out cheerfully. Judging by her attitude, she and the boss seemed to be quite close. Why she decided to quit her job, he was really curious.

 

They was co-operating quite efficiently, much to Levi’s contentment. Frieda was a really good instructor. She showed him how to do the work while finishing the tasks, and he found himself taking note on everything she said.

 

“You should arrange the specific schedule at least one week prior, also spare sometime for last minute change. Inform the visitors about the appointment to know if they are fine with it. It’s the same for meetings. What else? Oh, business trips. You have to arrange them as soon as you receive the notification. Make sure you got the dates, locations and the plans correctly, prepare the documents that involve in the trips and copies for all of them just in case. Book planes tickets and hotel for both of you, contact the local driver. Here…”

 

She clicked open a file on the computer. There was a list of hotels in various countries and cities, along with its contact details.

 

“If there are our hotels at that place, stay there. But if there aren’t, these are the hotels where we’ve stayed before, which, according to boss man, _meet his standards._ ” Frieda made a quote sign in the air with her hand. “It’s best that your room is near the boss’s. You’ll literally a babysitter on the trip, sticking with him and making sure that he gets up on time, that he eats well and everything.”   

 

 _That sounds tough._ Although it had been in the job description, the idea of following Eren Jaeger all the time still made him cringe a bit inside.

 

“Oh this is what I like best. He always flies on business class and so will you, all on the company travelling budget!” Well, at least there is something good. Levi could never afford a business class ticket. He had been dreaming of enjoying the luxury on a plane for all his life. _Finally… One of the best things about this job._

“There won’t be any trips in two weeks, so the next time you’ll be on your own. I won’t be working then but if you need help, just call me okay?” She smiled.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” _Fuck. Why everyone in this company is so good?_ Except for a certain person of course. Frieda had introduced him to many people in the morning, for “more efficient co-operation later”, she had said. She’s like an angel that God sent to help him prepare to fight with the devil sitting in the next room.

 

“Such a cutie! Want to have lunch with me? We’ll be sitting with the HR.” She offered. They had got pretty close after the morning, close enough to move to first name basis, that’s it.

 

 

They were preparing to leave for lunch when Levi noticed the glass door between the rooms was still closed. Since the morning greeting, except for their occasional trips to the room to hand him some documents, Levi hadn’t seen the man at all. “Doesn’t he need to eat too?”

 

“He usually eats later, sometimes even skips lunch.” She sighed when they stepped into the elevator. “That kid never knows how to take care of himself.”

 

 _Well I certainly doubt it. He doesn’t seem to suffer from malnutrition at all._ “You seemed to be really close with him.” Who would call the CEO of a company “a kid” if they weren’t close enough?

 

“Yeah, he was like my little brother. Not as cute as you though!” Levi felt a blush crept up his face for the umpteenth time since this morning. He cleared his throat, trying in vain to cool down his heated face.

 

“So why do you resign?” Levi blurted out what had caught his curiosity the whole morning. “Uh… I mean, you don’t have to answer-”

 

“Why still so formal eh?” Frieda punched his arm playfully. She raised her hand to show him a golden band on her ring finger. “It’s just that my husband lives in Italy and I’ll move there with him!”

 

“Eh… Congratulation?” He didn’t know what to say, okay? She’s going to reunite with her husband, what else to say?

 

“Thanks.” She pinched his cheek (again) as they stepped out of the elevator into a crowded canteen, which looked more like a restaurant with warm yellow light and soft music playing in the background.

 

“Let’s grab some food first. I’m so hungry!” Frieda grabbed his wrist and dragged him over the other end of the room. The line was rather long but moving quickly. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw the food counter. _Holy shit._ It looked like a small buffet. The food wasn’t really what people called “high end dishes”, but it made his mouth water nonetheless.

 

“Is this… free?” Levi asked hesitantly. He couldn’t waste too much money on food, well, at least until he got his first month’s salary.

 

“Yeah, free. Grab as much as you like, but make sure you finish all of it!” Frieda laughed. Each of them took a tray and started picking up the dishes. He stepped out of the line with some pasta, fruit salad and potato soup. _Free lunch. Fuck. I love this company already._

He followed Frieda to a long table at the corner. “Here.” Nanaba called and patted the empty seat next to her as Frieda took the opposite one. “Nice too see you again, Levi.” She smiled. He sat down as she proceeded to introduce him to everyone else in the table. Along with Nanaba, Petra, Frieda and Levi himself, there were other five people sat with them. Mike Zacharius, who was also Head of HR Department, was a huge blond man with mustache. Next to him were Isle Langnar, a black-haired girl and Eld Jinn, a man with long blond hair tied back. Sitting at the end of the table, opposite to Petra was Oluo Bozado, a slightly older man with curly dark blond hair styled in an undercut somewhat similar to Levi’s. Levi nodded at each of them and started to devour his mouth-watering lunch. _This is fucking paradise._

 

 

 

Two weeks had flown away before Levi even realized it. They were at the airport to bid Frieda goodbye. She set her luggage cart aside to hug each of them, eyes red. “I’m gonna miss you, Levi.” Frieda whispered into his ear as she hugged him tight. Levi awkwardly placed his hands on her back, returning the embrace. “Thank you, Frieda, for everything. Safe flight.”

 

“Alright. Good luck with the boss!” Her eyes turned mischievous when she released him and patted his cheeks. She winked before pushing her cart towards the gates. “Bye everyone. Thanks for coming!” They waved and looked at her until she disappeared behind the gate.

 

 _So it’s only me now._ Levi sighed. To tell the truth, he was worried. Frieda had always been there the past two weeks. She would stand next to him and tell him if he was doing something wrong. He had learned all what he needed to know, as Frieda had assured, but it was only theoretical. He didn’t want to call her every time getting in trouble, but he was afraid of doing everything on his own. Levi had always needed someone to tell him that what he was doing was right. _I guess that has to change now._ He closed his eyes. _Just do your best, Levi. Your fucking best. You can do it._ He wouldn’t let his mistake affect anybody else. That’s it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Eren :(( It's just really hard to write in Eren's POV, I don't know why. I'll try harder :) If there are any mistakes, please tell me. I really appreciate it! :)  
> And thank you for reading this so far, you guys really make my day :D


	4. Chapter 4

“So you’ll have the prince all for yourself from tomorrow?” Hanji asked while shoving popcorn into her mouth. They were watching some old sci-fi movie she had suggested. Hanji were lying across the couch, clutching a bowl to her chest while Levi curling on the side, occasionally reaching over to grab a handful of popcorn.

 

“He’s not a prince. And yes, I’ll have to deal with him, _alone_ , from tomorrow.” Levi stated, not looking at her. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hanji’s grin get wider.

 

“Yeah yeah. Whatever. You lucky bastard.” She waved her hand and shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth. Some fell out on the crouch. Levi cringed at the sight. _Have to clean it up soon._

 

“I don’t know why you guys are always fussing over him. Sure he’s talented, being the big boss of a big company and all. But he’s not the only one in the world.” He remembered the two girls at the cafe and how Isabel and Hanji had squealed with excitement when he announced he got the job.

 

“He has the look, that’s the main point! Hell, he could be a model or an actor, but of course he wouldn’t make as much money. Eren Jaeger is practically _everyone’s_ Prince Charming! Girls and boys all the same drool over him! Well, not me at least.  I have Moblit already. But still, you unappreciative brat, have the chance to be with the prince and not even be thankful for it.” Hanji sighed dramatically and he snorted. She propped her chin on her palm and eyed him. “Beside, why do you seem to… despise him so much? He didn’t do anything, beside that _little_ incident.”

 

“Whose side are you on now?” Levi deadpanned. “And it’s not like I hate him or anything, just… uneasy, that’s all. Feel like he was holding the incident against me.” He couldn’t stop himself from thinking. Yes, Eren Jaeger hadn’t done anything the past two weeks. _Hell, I haven’t seen him at all._ So maybe, Levi was thinking too much. Maybe he had forgotten about the cafe incident.

 

“But that wasn’t really his fault. I’m not saying it was yours either. And _you_ were the one taking the consequence. I don’t see any reason why he should hold anything against you.” She shrugged. The movie on the screen was long forgotten, the sound turning into meaningless background noise.      

“Eh… I kind of said something not really nice.” Levi fidgeted with his finger. At Hanji’s raised eyebrow, he continued. “I told him to… errrr….. shove a cup up his ass. But hey I didn’t know he was Eren Jaeger then!”

 

Hanji burst out laughing. “How can you not know him? He was on the Internet all the time!” She sat up and wiped some tears in her eyes. “Oh my poor boy.”

 

“I couldn’t think clearly okay? You’re not making me feel better.” He huffed, propping his elbow on the armrest.

 

“Sorry sorry.” She waved her hand in a dismiss gesture. “But hey, you got in right? So I think it’s over. Beside, Eren Jaeger can’t be that narrow-minded.” She patted him on the back.

 

“I hope so, or else the next days would be hell. But why are you always praising Eren Jaeger? You hardly know him!”

 

“From the interviews and all. He really looks like a gentleman!” Levi wanted to sigh. Right now Hanji looked like some teenager fussing over their idol, with hearts shot everywhere.

 

“Keyword: _looks like._ What if he was a perverted old man? Who knows?”

“That would be…” Hanji pushed her glasses, a maniacal grin plastered on her face. “…so hot! Can you imagine it, a perverted playboy Eren Jaeger!” She kicked his arm. “And he’s not old!”

 

Levi rolled his eyes. Yeah, he definitely felt better now.

 

 

 

Levi noted down the tasks and stuck the piece of paper on his computer screen. Yes, it was _his_ computer screen now that Frieda had gone. He still felt a little bit nervous on his first day without Frieda, but considering what Hanji had said yesterday, he guessed everything would be okay. He had had today schedule arranged and the to-do list written down really carefully. _Still five minutes early._ The only thing to do now was waiting for a certain person to come.

 

The elevator ding sound rang out as the metallic door slid open. Levi didn’t need to check out who it was, because, according to Frieda, only the CEO and his secretary, along with a few managers are allowed on this floor. And at this time, there could be only one person.

 

Eren Jaeger stepped into the room, wearing a typical black suit with white dress shirt underneath. Though Levi didn’t want to admit it, the man was _a little bit_ good-looking. _Yeah, just a little bit, that’s it._ Tall and undoubtedly well-built, he could tell even with all that clothes layers. Not that Levi wanted to see what was underneath.

 

Levi must have dazed off, because the next thing he saw was bright turquoise eyes staring at him, with their owner’s face merely twenty centimeters away from his, much too close for his liking. He could feel the heat coming from the man and his breath against his face. “Good morning, Mr. Ackerman.” Startled, he jerked back in his seat, head slamming against the wall behind in the process. “G-good morning!” He weakly squeaked out while clutching his head. _Fuck, that hurts._

 

Eren Jaeger was, again, showing that annoying smirk of his. “A bit distracted huh?” He straightened his back, put his hand in his pocket and turned away. He opened the glass door and Levi knew better than just sitting there dumbfounded. He grabbed the tablet before standing up and following into the room. He had come to the office several times, but back then all his attention had been on what Frieda had been saying, so this was more or less his first time to really take in the surrounding. The room was simple, much simpler than he had expected, with black and light grey being the main colors. It looked like the office he’d seen on the HR Department floor, only more spacious and with a bigger desk. There were two grey couches and a coffee table, with a flat screen TV on the wall behind. Large book shelves lined up the wall behind the desk, though Levi supposed they were only for decorative purpose. There was also another glass door in the corner, but he didn’t give it much thought. More like _couldn’t_ , because before he could say anything, his boss’s voice rang out.

 

“Could you please get me a coffee, Mr. Ackerman?”

 

“You’ve never asked Frieda to do that.” Levi narrowed his eyes. He didn’t expect the first task in his first official work day was to make coffee, not when Frieda hadn’t mentioned it.

 

“Are you Frieda now?” Eren Jaeger raised an eyebrow from his seat. “As I remember, your name is _Levi Ackerman._ ” The way his name rolled on the man’s tongue made Levi unconsciously shivered. He didn’t know he could get so irritated by hearing his own name. “And get used to it. From now on I’d like to have a coffee _every_ morning, please.”

 

 _Well that’s not too bad._ “Okay, how would you like it?” Levi was a bit annoyed at the dictatorial tone but he let it slip; Eren Jaeger was the CEO after all. And there was a self-service coffee bar on the 2nd floor, so he guessed that was not too much of a burden.

 

“If you don’t mind, I’d like the coffee from Garrison Café, please.” Did he say he didn’t hate Eren Jaeger? Well, he took it back now. Levi wasn’t his coffee-boy, _damn it._ If he liked it that much, he might as well buy it himself.

 

“What if I minded? Would you go and buy it yourself?” _Oh shit. He said it, didn’t he?_ Levi wanted to slap himself on the face. _Just keep your own mouth shut, will you?_ He braced himself for the tantrum the brown-haired man would throw at him, but it never came.

 

“Well I could. But you know…” He turned to his laptop and continued calmly without looking at Levi. “If I’m satisfied with your performance at work, your annual bonus will be higher.” He then smiled, which Levi found even more annoying than the previous smirks. Maybe it was just his bad mood.

 

“…I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

 

 

 

It was not until Levi reached the coffee shop that he realized he hadn’t ask his boss what he’d like to drink. Levi didn’t know his phone number and it was a pain to walk all the way back, so he just settled down with what Eren had drunk last time: a large matcha latte. He stepped out of the shop with a paper cup cradled in his hands. Winter was drawing near; the temperature dropped down enough to have to don a coat when stepping outside. Levi was somewhat glad he was holding the cup. The heat of the drink seeped through the thick layer and warmed his hands comfortably.

 

Levi was sure Eren Jaeger was still holding the incident against him. But he could bear with it, if it meant a higher bonus. To tell the truth, a ten-minute walk everyday was nothing too much for him. Levi kind of regretted the way he had reacted five minutes ago. Eren Jaeger could have easily kicked him out of the company for his disrespectful attitude. He should just keep his mouth shut from now on. The less he talked, the more chance he could keep his job.

 

 

  
“Thank you, Mr. Ackerman.” Eren Jaeger took the cup and lifted it to his mouth. After one sip, he frowned. “It’s not hot enough. Could you heat it up? There is a microwave on 2nd floor.”

 

 _Really?_ Levi almost snatched the cup, which was still warm, from the man’s hand. _Almost._ Fortunately, he managed to keep his hand in check and stretch his lips into a smile, which no doubt looked extremely fake. _Endure, Levi._ He could take it all. He wouldn’t expect making money to be easy, anyway. _And_ _if you think you could provoke me, you’re miserably wrong, Eren Jaeger._

* * *

 

“It’s time, Mr. Jaeger.”  Levi stepped into the room with a stack of papers in his hand. Eren closed his laptop and stood up. He checked his phone before pocketing it.

 

“Okay, Mr. Ackerman.” He paused, seemed to be thinking something. “Can I call you Levi? It’s really… troublesome to address formally if we are going to see each other everyday. You can call me Eren too.” He smiled and walk towards Levi, waiting for an answer.

 

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Do I have a choice?” He asked dryly.

 

“No.”

 

He actually saw no trouble at the formal address, but seeing the morning situation, he doubted he could do anything. Also, the way Eren was looking at him made Levi squirm inside. “Whatever.” He murmured, so small that Eren might not hear it. Levi hoped his boss took the silence as refusal.

 

But Eren probably heard that, because seconds later, he smiled victoriously and stepped out of the room, not forgetting to cast a glance at his new secretary.

 

“Well then, let’s go, _Levi_.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! Love you guys <3 <3 <3

Levi propped his elbows on the desk and glanced at the man inside the room from the corner of his eyes. This was the first time he had seen Eren Jaeger left the blinds open. From his position he could only see the side of Eren’s face, and he had to admit, the man was quite good looking. Over the first week, he had come to accept that hard-to-accept fact. Strong jawline, straight nose, thick eyebrows and bright green eyes gave him a look that was both young and mature at the same time. Eren looked like any idol on the billboards that Levi saw everyday. And judging by the way Hanji talked about him the other day, he might already be one. Levi would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit envious. The man was handsome and, more importantly, filthy rich. To be able to run such a big company at a young age… _No, maybe not young._ Maybe it was just his deceitful look. Levi frowned. _How old is he again?_ He knew Eren Jaeger had taken over the company last year, but that was all. He had never been curious nor found it necessary to find out how old his boss was, up until now.

 

Levi glanced at the man to make sure he wasn’t looking, and then opened the web browser, typing ‘Eren Jaeger’ in the search bar. He wasn’t disappointed as pages of results immediately appeared. _Oh he even has a fanpage._ He clicked at the link. _Fuck, over one million followers._ To say the least, Levi was really impressed. Eren Jaeger was a businessman, and for a businessman to have a fandom, let alone a relatively big one, wasn’t what you could see everyday.

 

Eren’s profile was a pin post with a big photo of him in a suit. Typical. He was smiling charmingly but giving off a professional vibe at the same time. _Wait, did I just think Eren Jaeger was charming?_ Perhaps it was because he was sleepy that he couldn’t think clearly. _Yeah, that’s probably it._ Levi slowly scrolled down. _Birthday... So 28 this_ year, he calculated. The man was quite young for a CEO, wasn’t he? And to be able to maintain a company was not something everyone could do. His eyes turned back to focus on the screen. What else? _Star sign… Blood type… Height… Weight… Where did they get all of these?_

 

* * *

  

Eren could feel Levi looking at him. He pretended not to see it and continued his work. It had been a week now since Levi officially became his secretary. Eren had to admit, he had made the work _a little bit_ harder, just to see him fuming in anger. Levi did everything without complaint though. Ever since their first encounter at the café, he had taken an odd interest in Levi. He had expected the younger man to ask for compensation for his shirt, once realizing who Eren was. Instead he had stormed out of the shop with those _cute_ last words. Sue him for having weird taste, but he found it… interesting. Except for his family and friends, everyone tiptoed around him, men and women alike. So Levi stood out with his _special_ attitude. Eren found the urge to get to know Levi, and since his academic record was excellent, it was settled.     

 

Levi was looking at his screen, finger scrolling down on the mouse. He looked focused, and Eren couldn’t help staring at the raven’s features. He was attractive, at least in Eren’s view. His black hair was styled in an undercut with the bangs split in the middle, which was undoubtedly soft if Eren had the chance to touch it. Everything of him was small, small grey eyes, small nose, small mouth, and especially small stature. The younger man stood just barely over his shoulder, which Eren found really cute. And his hand too. He still remembered the feeling of Levi’s hand in his, small and soft and fit perfectly. His handwriting was really nice, flowing and delicate, so it was a shame that every document now was typed on computer. Eren would love to see Levi write sometime, other than those sticky notes on his desk.  

 

Eren looked at the clock. They were going meet a business partner in fifteen minutes. He stepped out of his room and approach Levi’s desk. The man was looking at the computer so intensely that he didn’t realize Eren was standing in front of him. Only when he bended over to look at the screen did Levi jerk in surprise and quickly close whatever program he was opening. Eren couldn’t help a smirk creeping on his face.

 

“Watching porn?”

Eren was expecting some kind of sharp, angry retort. Instead, Levi’s face reddened like a tomato. He leaned back further into his seat and stuttered. “N-no, of-of course not!” _Cute._

“Really?” He arched an eyebrow.

 

“I’m not like you, you sick basta-” His hand flew up to cover his mouth. “Sorry.” He muttered, hands flipping through the papers on his desk in a poor attempt to find something to do.

 

“I what?” Eren smirked cheekily, leaning over further.

 

“N-nothing. You’re invading my personal space.” His face was still as red as a beetroot. Levi pushed his chair back and stood up, gathering the documents in his hand. “We should go…” He cleared his throat. “…Mr. Jaeger.”

 

Levi still hadn’t called him by his first name, which he supposed was normal. It had been only a week after all. Anyway, Eren had made a point of calling the other man by his name as often as possible, only to see him squirm in discomfort whenever his name left Eren’s lips.

 

“Okay, _Levi._ ”  

 

* * *

   

The rain was coming down in torrents, so hard that Levi could barely see anything except for the raindrops beating against the windows. The sky was dark despite it being only five in the evening. Levi actually liked rain, but only when it remained a drizzle, _or_ , when he had an umbrella with him, which he didn’t since he thought the rainy season had long passed. He couldn’t wait for the rain to cease; he still had dinner to make (and an apartment to clean if he persisted in going home in this weather). Levi sighed. Everyone who he was close with in the company lived in the opposite direction of the bus stop, so he didn’t want to cause them trouble by asking for a ride, since the streets were probably jammed due to the heavy rain. _Fuck it._ Levi grabbed his briefcase, donned the beige coat and stood up, heading towards the elevator.

 

 

 

Levi reached the bus stop panting and shivering. He felt hot and freezing at the same time. His clothes were drenched with rainwater as well as sweat. He was soaking wet from head to toe. He could even feel water squishing in his shoes. _Well, at least my briefcase is waterproof._ Levi took off his shoes to pour out all the water inside before putting them back on. The cold was seeping in through the thick coat, and Levi found his teeth clattering. He wrapped his arms around his body, as if it could prevent him from the merciless cold wind. Farlan and Isabel would certainly scold him for this, so he had to make sure he came home before they did. That wouldn’t be hard, since their classes wouldn’t end until six. The bus arrived, not too packed, but he stood anyway. He didn’t want any water on him to get on the cushioned seats.

 

It took twice as long as it usually did for him to get home. And by the time his apartment came into view, the rain had stop. Water gathered in puddles in front of the building, which Levi was grateful for, because normally, after a heavy rain, the front yard would be flooded, sometimes the water even reached his knees, and it was a pain in the ass to wash all the mud on his pants afterwards. Levi supposed it was rational, considering the dirt cheap rent of the apartment.

 

He twisted the lock. The door opened with a noisy squeak, making him wince. He stepped inside and flicked on the light switch. The light flickered a few times, more than it was supposed to, before turning fully on. Their apartment was old, yes, but Levi made a point to keep it as spotlessly clean as possible. Cleaning wasn’t a chore to him, more like a hobby. It might sound ridiculous but it gave him a sense of control, that even if he failed at everything, if they had to scramble around, desperate for money, at least he could keep their rundown flat habitable.

 

Levi quickly changed into a dry set of clothes, not bothering to shower yet. His skin was a little bit sticky from the rain, which irritated him to no end, but he pushed the need to stand under the warm water away. Farlan and Isabel would be home soon, and they would be starving after a whole day at school. He didn’t want to delay making dinner just because of some personal hygiene issues.

 

He put on the pink apron that Isabel had insisted on buying in one of the trips to the supermarket and started to stack the dried plates on the washing rack into the cupboard. When it was done, he opened the fridge to pull out some chicken, as well as an onion and some potatoes. He washed the ingredients, spiced the meat and chopped the vegetables with practiced ease. When everything was in the oven, he started his cleaning routine. Since the place was relatively small, he ended up cleaning the whole apartment, which included scrubbing the bathroom until all the surfaces were free of bacteria and his fingertips got wrinkled and numb from all the water and detergent. 

 

Farlan and Isabel came home just five minutes later, with Isabel sniffing around and literally moaning out how delicious the food smelled. Dinner started shortly after. They chatted idly around the table, the red-haired girl’s voice loudest. Most of the conversation was about school, some guys on the campus, the upcoming exams, and somehow it ended up with the Sina Corps and Eren Jaeger. _Fucking Eren Jaeger._ Levi fought the urge to smash his head right on the table. He had enough Eren Jaeger for today. Thank you very much.

 

Fortunately, Levi managed to keep his forehead unharmed through the meal. He tuned them out most of the time. And although he did feel guilty for being inattentive and those mono-syllabic answers, he was too exhausted to do otherwise. His eyelids were heavy; his limbs felt like lead and his head light. They must have seen his fatigue, because the two offered to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen, while normally he would stay and do the task together. Levi hadn’t been more thankful. He kissed them on the cheeks before dragging his feet to the bathroom, automatically taking a shower. Levi flopped down on top of the mattress, hair still wet but he didn’t care. He couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore as sleep immediately engulfed him.

 

 

 

The words on the computer screen blurred together. Levi rubbed his eyes, but that didn’t help. His head had been pounding since he woke up this morning. His throat was dry and it hurt whenever he swallowed. His nose stuffed and Levi was sure his voice would be funny if he used it. He always prided himself on having a strong immune system and rarely got sick. He didn’t remember the last time he had felt this… vulnerable. The sheer light of the screen made his eyes hurt, and looking the documents made his head sway. He couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t even understand what he was reading at the moment. Levi considered taking the painkiller but he hadn’t had breakfast since he overslept this morning. And he really, _really_ , didn’t want to leave his seat now. So he rather endure the pain, probably until lunch – he could ask Nanaba or Petra to bring him something from the canteen, than taking the pills on an empty stomach, only to vomit them all afterwards. Besides, Levi wasn’t up to eating right now either, considering the way his stomach churning at the very thought of food.

 

He only wanted to crawl into his bed, lying on the mattress, pulling the blanket over his head and let sleep took over him. Levi dropped his head on the table, closing his eyes for a moment. _Just rest a little bit._ He told himself.

 

_Don’t fall asleep._

_Don’t fall asleep._

_Don’t…_  

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long :(((  
> This chapter is longer than others, so if there's any mistake, please don't hesitate to point out :D  
> And again, thank you for your kudos and comments and bookmarks! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter <3

Levi became aware of the pain in his skull even before he opened his eyes, which he didn't want to anyway, considering the softness of the material surrounding him. He didn't know what it was, but wasn't willing to open his eyes to check either. The thing was too damn comfortable. _Not my bed_. He was sure. His bed was never like this, the mattress harder and the drape rougher after years of using. And _this_. This _heavenly_ , God blessed thing, which was so soft that Levi thought that he was surrounded by cloud. If cloud could solidify, anyway, this was what he supposed it would felt like. The smooth material wrapped around him, a comfortable weight on his body, keeping his hands and feet perfectly warm. He hadn't felt this... satisfied for a long, long time. And if this was a dream, Levi never wanted to wake up. His mind was about to drift back to unconsciousness when the pounding in his head came back, like a wall standing between him and the dream land. And a really tall and thick brick wall at that. _How the hell did I get it in the first place?_   He tried to jog his memory, which was pretty hard with the pounding in his head.

 

He remembered running under the pouring rain, and then going to work. And then... what? Oh, he was so tired that he decided to rest a little, just a few minutes...

 

Oh shit.

 

Levi bolted up on the bed and immediately regretted his action. The movement made things spin around him and his stomach churned despite being empty. He drew his knees close to his chest and propped his forehead on them, waiting for the dizziness to go away.

 

"You okay?" A deep voice sounded out, but Levi was so dizzy to register whose it was.

 

"I'm fine." His answer came out as a reflex. He was anything but fine now. Black spot filled his vision, and he felt like he was going to throw up, if there was anything in his stomach now.

 

A cool hand came into contact with the back of his neck and he sighed at the sensation. The hand continued rubbing soothingly and he found himself lean into the touch, indulging in the feeling. After a minute or so, the spinning finally came to a stop, and he raised his eyes, only to be met with familiar bright green ones.

 

 

 

“You passed out.” Eren stated when returning to the armchair, pulling the laptop back on his lap.

 

“No, I did not.” Levi frowned. He definitely hadn’t. “I just… fell asleep.”

 

“And wouldn’t wake up when I shook you? That didn’t sound like normal sleeping to me.” Eren raised an eyebrow. “And besides, wouldn’t it be better if you said you passed out? Sleeping at work doesn’t sound good for your job, does it?” His eyes turned back to the screen, fingers typing at the keyboard.

 

Levi decided to remain silence, not that he knew how to answer anyway. After letting his mouth slip several times, he’d got his lesson: never talk back, especially to your boss. _Especially_ when your boss was a filthy rich cocky smartass. He looked around the room, curious.

 

“Where am I?” He didn’t know the company’s nurse office would be this luxurious. Like the whole building, this room was surrounded with full length windows, giving him the familiar view of the city he usually saw from his desk. Levi noticed one of the grey curtains was closed, preventing the natural light from directly hitting the bed. There was a set of couches as well as a row of black wardrobes at the other end of the room. A flat screen TV stood on a counter opposite to the bed. It looked more like a high-end bedroom. _And since when does a health office need such a big and comfy bed?_ He wondered, hand subconsciously tracing the smooth material beneath.  

“My bedroom.” The brown-haired man smiled in his usual arrogant way, like he was showing Levi his house and asked if he liked the furniture.

 

“Your bedroom is in the company?” Levi snorted, too late to realize that his nose was stuffy and the sound came out like he was blowing his nose. He let it lie. “Sounds real.”

 

“It’s not really a bedroom, just a room to rest overnight when it’s too late to go home.” He explained as-a-matter-of-factly, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

 

Levi deadpanned. “So technically it’s still a _bedroom._ ” He was in the CEO’s bedroom, the famous Eren Jaeger’s bedroom, the place which every of his fans out there would no doubt give anything just to peek into. He didn’t know if he should be panic or not. Either way, he kept his face straight.

 

“Who in the world have a bedroom in their company building?” Levi decided to push. He was curious, okay? He could just say later that the headache was taking on him. _Reasonable enough._

 

“Me, apparently.” Eren set the laptop on the bedside table. “Want to eat anything? Or drink?” He walked to the fridge and opened it, digging his head in and taking something out.

 

“No, thank you.” His mind told him that he needed to eat something, but he didn’t really have the appetite now. Before he could do anything else, a glass full of white liquid was presented in front of his face.

 

“Drink some milk. You can’t take the pills on an empty stomach.” Eren said with a tone of finality. And when Levi didn’t make a move, he thrusted the glass further towards him and nodded his head in its direction.

 

 _It's no good arguing, is it?_ Levi gingerly took the glass and brought it to his lips. "Thank you." He took the first gulp and grimaced. _Who the hell think giving a sick person cold milk is a good idea?_ The cold liquid ran through his sore throat and made it hurt even worse, but Levi didn't complained. He should be thankful that his boss was considerate enough to do this, rather than scolding him and sending him home. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get home without tripping over his feet every few steps or throwing out in some corner.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Levi muttered with his lips on the rim of the glass.

 

“I can’t leave you sleeping on the desk with a fever, can I?” Eren shrugged nonchalantly. It was not until now that Levi realized Eren was working here, in his “bedroom”, rather than his office.

 

“You can just take me to the nurse office.” _The nurse knows how to tend to sick people, definitely better than you._ He didn’t speak it out loud, though. He was not that suicidal. _But the bed won’t be this soft._ A part of his mind argued.

 

“Are you expecting me to carry you all the way down to the first floor?” He eyed Levi up and down, a glint of mischievousness in those green orbs. “For such a short person, you’re really heavy, you know?”

 

 _It’s not like you have to walk all the way down there. We have elevator, you know._ “Didn’t know you are so weak.”

 

Eren looked at him and smirked, not saying anything.

 

“Do you do this to all your secretaries?”

 

The brown-haired took a brief glance at him before gluing his eyes back to the screen. “All my secretaries knew to call in sick when not feeling well.”

 

Levi suddenly felt bad. He thought he caught the tone of accusation in Eren’s voice. He thought he could make it through today and obviously, it didn’t go as he had expected. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

 

“That’s not going to change anything.”

 

 _What do you expect? “It’s fine. You should take better care of yourself.”? You out of all people should know better, Levi._ He was all soft and smiling and sweet talking in front of the customers. Well, practically in front of everyone, except his secretary. Except Levi, to be exact.

 

“Are you working here?” Levi found himself asking. “Why don’t you work in your office?”

 

“To save electricity. It’s wasteful to turn on a whole floor’s air conditioner just for you.” He didn’t like it when Eren didn’t look at him when he was talking. Like Levi was nothing to him. _Look at me._ He wanted to smash himself at the thought. _Why does it matter if he looks at you or not? Cut the stupid thought, Levi._ He brought his hand up to feel his forehead. _Still hot. Maybe the fever was messing with my head._

“Or…” He continued. “If you want to be alone _that_ bad, I can let you and charge extra to your account later, when you gets your first month salary.” Eren shrugged as he approached the bed.

 

“No. This is fine.” Levi winced. Money was always his weak point. And to make it worse, his boss knew that. It wasn’t like he would disobey Eren. He knew his place. A secretary basically was the one who run errands for the boss. And Levi would do anything the CEO asked. It was just that smug look on his face and the way he talked like he had Levi wrapped around his finger (which he more or less actually did) that irritated him to no end.

 

But Levi felt like he was getting used to it.

   

Eren handed him some pills, which he swallowed along with the milk. It was right after he had taken the white tablets that he realized he didn't know what kind of medicine they were. He didn't have the mind to ask, though. His head was killing him. The pills were already in his stomach, whatever they were.

 

"Sleep." Eren said, which sounded more like a command, taking back the empty glass from his hand. And Levi didn't need to be told twice. A small part of his mind told him that he should get up and finish his work for today, instead of sleeping like a pig. But his body wouldn’t listen. His eyelids were heavy as he lowered himself on the soft bed and again let sleep took over.

 

* * *

 

Eren heard a faint noise from his seat, like a phone buzzing. His fingers stop typing as he glanced at his phone on the bedside table. The screen was still black, indicating it was not his phone that was ringing. He set his laptop aside and stood up, gently lifted the thick grey blanket he had put on the sleeping man a few hours before. He felt for the phone, and _oh-so-accidentally_ let his hand roam all over the younger male’s body. And he didn’t feel guilty in the slightest.

 

Levi was still sleeping soundly, mouth hanging open when Eren fished out the phone in his pants pocket. It was still buzzing; on the screen was a photo of a red-haired girl smiling brightly with the contact name ‘Izzy’ below. He swiped at it without a second thought and lifted the phone to his ear. Before he could say anything, a voice in the other end boomed out.

 

“Big bro are you okay? You didn’t answer my message! It’s late! Where are you? It’s raining outside. Did you get stuck?”

 

 _Not his girlfriend then_ , was Eren’s first thought. He cleared his throat and called out a “hello”. Immediately after, the other end went deadly quiet.

 

“Where is big bro?”

 

Eren darted his eyes to the sleeping form on his bed. He smiled a little.

 

“Levi’s fine. He’s sleeping. I…”

 

“Are you…” The girl cut him mid-sentence. “Are you his sugar daddy?” The last part came out as a whisper.

 

Eren choked on his saliva.  

 

“No! I’m his… co-worker. He got a fever and is sleeping.” Eren held a hand in front of him in a defensive gesture; then he realized she couldn’t see him and dropped it down.

 

The voice turned concerned. “Is the fever really bad?” He could almost sense the frown on the other’s face, though never knowing how she looked like.

 

“It has gone down a little, I think.” He used the back of his hand to feel Levi’s forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll take him home when he wakes up.”

 

“Oh, okay.” She sighed, sounding relieved. He couldn’t help thinking this ‘Izzy’ was awfully innocent. He could be some kidnapper and the girl would still believe his words, for God’s sake. “What’s your name then?” She inquired after a few seconds. “So I can make sure Levi thanks you properly when he gets better.” She chirped playfully.

 

“It’s Eren.” He answered after a few seconds.

 

“Eren… Eren huh?”

 

“Yeah.” He replied cautiously. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Ah no, it’s nothing. Thank you very much! Please take care of our Levi!”   

 

“Don’t worry. I will. We’ll be working with each other for a long time.” Eren couldn’t stop a smirk creeping up on his face.

 

 _Of course_ he would take good care of Levi.

 

* * *

 

It was already dark outside when Levi opened his eyes the second time. The first thing he noticed was that it was raining, though not as hard as yesterday. And he had forgotten his umbrella, again. Levi groaned. He really didn’t want a double-cold. Just one was shitty enough.

 

He was actually feeling better now, though the faint headache was still lingering and his throat still hurt like hell when he swallow. What irritated him more was that his whole body was sticky with sweat. Levi kicked the blanket aside when he noticed it was heavier than usual, and it was different color from his own, too. That was when everything came back to him. Eren Jaeger’s bedroom. Cold milk. The pills. _Fuck._

 

Levi decided to get up and make the bed, which was harder than making his own considering its size. Because, what else could he do now? When satisfied with the condition of the bed, he collected his phone on the bedside table, not thinking about why it was there in the first place. Probably he had put it there before sleeping, but too tired to remember.

 

“Go home now?” A deep voice startled him. Levi turned around.

 

“Yeah.” He turned on the phone, surprised to see the time. “Nine already? Fuck.” So basically, he had slept like half a day. And he didn’t make dinner for the kids back home. He wondered if they had eaten, and if they had called him when he was sleeping. Levi scroll down the contact list to find Isabel name, and tapped on the green button. He brought it to his ear only to hear the speaker announce that his remaining account wasn’t enough to make a phone call. Levi huffed, irritated.

 

The man across the room cleared his throat, getting Levi’s attention. He wondered if he should just borrow Eren’s phone, but immediately swatted the idea away. He checked the account, relieved to find out that it was still enough for a message. He typed a quick text to Isabel, and the reply came seconds later. Levi was surprised to see Isabel so calm, but deciding it wasn’t a bad thing at all.

 

Levi put his phone into the pants’ front pocket and walked towards the waiting man. Eren turned around to go out as Levi switched the light off. They descended a small flight of stairs, with dark wooden steps and glass handrail. At the bottom of the staircase there was another glass door to the left. As they stepped through it, it took Levi two seconds to recognize the place. It looked different from this perspective, but undoubtedly the CEO’s office. Somehow, the fact that Eren Jaeger’s bedroom was on the infamous 15th floor didn’t surprise him as he expected it would be. Maybe because he had gone through so much today. Well, _that_ was exaggerated. He had literately done nothing but sleep for the past twelve hours. It was probably because Nanaba had told him earlier that the so-called mysterious floor was Eren’s office. Yeah, that sounded more like it.

 

After Levi collected his things, they walk silently towards the elevator. Eren pushed the button to the basement. A few seconds later, Levi reached out to push the ground floor button, and when his finger touched the metal surface, his superior’s voice boomed out in the elevator.

 

“My car is in the basement.”

 

“So?” Levi stared at him questioningly with a dumb look on his face. Are secretaries supposed to walk their bosses to their cars too? _Really?_

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

 

“You don’t need to. I can just take the bus.” Passing out at work and making his boss take care of him made Levi feel bad enough. Not to mention Eren had to work with the laptop on his lap for the whole day. Sitting like that for like twelve hours, his back must be sore.

 

“It’s late, and it’s raining outside.” Eren said with a tone of finality. And to further emphasize his point, when the metal doors opened on the ground floor, he immediately pushed the button to close them, not giving Levi a chance to protest.

 

“Thank you, but I don’t want to bother you any more.”

 

“You already did. And it would be much more troublesome if your cold got worse and you passed out at work again like today.”

 

“I already said I’m sorry.” Levi muttered under his breath as they approached the only car left in the building’s basement. It was a black BMW – Levi could only tell so much; he didn’t know a lot about cars anyway. Eren opened the passenger door, gesturing his head towards it. “Come in.”

 

Levi gingerly climbed into the car, flinching a bit when the door slammed shut. The brown-haired man walked around and slipped into the driver’s seat. He looked at Levi and leaned over, reaching his hand over the younger man’s face. Levi froze. Millions of thoughts ran through his head. What was he trying to do? _Fuck, too close._ He could feel the heat from the man’s hand as it was just centimeters away from his cheek. Levi took a glance at Eren’s face only to see green orbs staring at him intensely. He swallowed audibly. Levi had seen enough romance dramas to predict where this was going. The man would lean in and slowly brought his lips to the woman’s, with music playing in the background. Except he was not a woman, but well… _Is he going to… kiss me?_ Levi bit his bottom lip as Eren leaned in closer, and closer. His breath quickened and his heart pounding in his chest furiously. He squeezed his eyes shut, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

 

Five seconds passed, which felt like a whole damn year, yet nothing happened. And then the seatbelt on his side was pulled and locked with a click. Levi snapped open his eyes to see Eren’s smirking face, and heat rushed to his cheeks. He just wanted to dig a hole and hide there for the rest of eternity. _That was embarrassed as fuck._ Why on the fucking earth was he expecting a kiss? From his superior of all people. _I seriously need to stop watching those stupid dramas._ And the fact that his boss seemed to know what was going on in his mind just made things worse. Levi didn’t remember feeling so humiliated in twenty-three years of his life. The engine roared, and Levi looked out of the window, bottom lip sticking out a little. He _was not_ pouting, mind you.

 

After a few exchange on his address, the car fell into silence. Levi didn’t really mind, though, since the seat was so damn comfortable, considering the fact that he’d been using the bus all the time. The seats were light beige and still had the faint smell of leather, which, according to him, gave a luxury feeling. But the most important was that it was warm, and soft, which Levi really needed right now. He felt like smiling, somehow, as he adjusted himself to the best position, with his upper body turning slightly, forehead resting on the cool window. And he found himself drifting in and out of slumber, despite having done nothing but sleep all day.

 

 

Eren pulled off at the given address, an old building with a fairly big concrete yard. The wall of said building, which used to be white, as Eren supposed, had yellowed, with a few cracks here and there. He hadn’t expected otherwise, since this part of the city would be cleared in a few years. Since it had a nice view of the river and the city on the other side and was not really far from the center, once rebuilt, it would be an ideal place to live, far enough from the busy city to be quiet, but not too far to cause any inconveniences. Anyway, it meant that Levi had to find some other place to live soon, and Eren wouldn’t mind in the slightest bit to help, though he doubted the younger man would be happy about it.

 

“We’re here.” Eren unbuckled his seatbelt and said softly. His secretary opened his eyes and yawned. And Eren found it impossible to look away. Levi was adorable, with sleepy face and slightly mused hair. He didn’t realize he was staring and smiling stupidly until the other gave him a weird look. Eren snapped out of it and opened his car door, walking to the other side and did the same for Levi. The black-haired man stepped out of the car and looked at him awkwardly.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“It’s nothing. Do you need me to walk you inside? It’s pretty dark.” Eren looked around. Most of the street lamps were broken, with the exception of one in front of the building.

 

“I’m not a girl.” His eyes narrowed.

 

“A goodbye kiss, then?” He smirked, remembering what had happened earlier. He’d love to see that look on Levi’s face again, and he wasn’t disappointed. Levi immediately went red, glaring dangerously at him and quickly turned around.

 

“Fuck you.”'

 

“Yeah, good night to you too, Levi.”

 

Eren waited until Levi disappeared into the building before climbing into his car and drove away with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm so sorry :((( Maybe I should stop apologizing for updating so late. I'm not giving up on this story, although I can't promise regular updates, so please bear with me :)  
> And again, thank you for your comments and kudos :D I love you guys <3

“Wow! It’s… huge!”

 

Levi looked around in awe. Here they were, in Sina Amusement Park, on its very first day. He had never had the chance to visit an amusement park before, so standing here right now was like his childhood dream coming true. Levi found himself fighting the urge to run forward like a child while taking in his surroundings, all the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster and the merry-go-round with their lightbulbs flashing invitingly. _Calm down._ He told himself. He must stay professional; they were not here to play. Eren Jaeger and he were attending the opening ceremony of the corporation’s new amusement park. They’d just arrived this morning, and despite the fact that he still felt a little bit jet-lagged, his excitement didn’t die down.

 

“Isn’t it? They sure have done a wonderful job.” Eren looked pretty fond, though his face didn’t show much. Who wouldn’t, though? Hundreds of people were waiting to go through the gate, and it was only the first morning, though Levi was sure not few of them were here just to see Eren make his speech. Many young girls had been here from early with their cameras ready. Apart from the press, who would take photos and record an opening ceremony if it weren’t for the fact that the CEO was hot as fuck? He could hear the snapping sound of cameras as the man stepped on the makeshift stage, even the squealing of the girls behind as Eren flashed the crowd one of his oh-so-charming smiles. He looked no different from movie stars walking on the red carpet, and Levi quietly wondered why he always managed to look so good after so few hours of sleep.

 

The crowd was silent as Eren made his speech. It was simple, mostly his gratitude to the visitors, the staff and the construction team, and Levi quietly thanked God that it wasn’t one of those long ass speeches that lure people into their sleep. The ceremony was quick, and people rushed through the gate in no time.

 

He was walking beside Eren, as the young man observed the surroundings in his usual cool and calm manner. The lively music and cheerful laughter of people around just stirred him up even more. Levi silently made up a plan to sneak out of the hotel later. Oh, did he mention that the whole island that this amusement park located in was also Sina Corporation’s property? Anyway, the resort was just on the other side of the island and it provided transportation to the park, so sneaking out would be no trouble at all. Taken that their schedule for the day was done, he had nothing to worry about. And it wasn’t really “sneaking” at all; it was _his_ free time by any rights.   

 

“Wanna go and… try some?” Eren suddenly asked.

 

Levi was a bit lost. “Huh? Try what?”

 

The taller man gestured around vaguely. “…This, I mean.” He cleared his throat.

 

“You mean… go play?” Levi asked again, just to make sure. He wondered if he looked _that_ desperate that his superior finally took a pity on him; because in his dictionary, “Eren Jaeger” and “playing” never went together. The brown-haired man was always busy, always so cool and calm and professional that Levi could hardly imagine him enjoying something like an amusement park. _Hell_ , he hadn’t even seen the man wear anything other than his expensive suits and dress shoes. 

 

“Yeah. Don’t you want to?”

 

“Yes… Of course!” Levi couldn’t help the smile on his face. He felt like a child being given his favorite candy, giddy and excited. “But… in this?” He gestured up and down himself. How could they possibly wander around with suits and dress shoes (and gelled hair, for Eren)? It would be uncomfortable and, on top of that, weird as hell. Levi could already feel people looking at them, if the way they moved aside wherever Eren stepped his foot on wasn’t clear enough. Maybe it was just the older man’s stunning appearance, not because of their _we-are-not-here-for-fun_ outfits after all. Eren seemed to have no trouble with it, though, but they seriously needed to get changed.

 

 

Levi took no time in finding what to wear, since he only brought one set of casual clothes. That included an oversized grey sweater with the sleeves reaching past his knuckles, black skinny jeans and a pair of high top grey converse that definitely had seen better days. The shoes were a present from Isabel and Farlan when he passed the university entrance exam and Levi had used them since then. They maybe old and well-worn but reliable and, sue him for being a weirdo, he considered them his lucky charm.

 

He turned in his room key card and scanned around the lobby for his boss. When Eren said “casual clothes”, Levi expected nothing less than an ironed collared shirt. Eren was always so formal that he couldn’t even imagine him in jeans and T-shirt. And that slicked back hair definitely couldn’t go with casual clothes. Levi mentally asked if what he was wearing were appropriate. Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t care what Eren would think about his outfit, it was _his_ free time after all, but better stay on his superior’s good side, right?

 

Someone tapped his shoulder. “Sorry, did I make you wait long?” 

 

“Who are… Oh.” Levi stopped mid-sentence.

 

Eren was standing in front of him with hands in the pocket of his black pull-over hoodie, along with faded grey jeans and black sneakers. His messy brown hair almost made Levi didn’t recognize him at first. _Almost_ , if it weren’t for those bright green eyes and familiar smirk.

 

How could someone look _this_ attractive with such simple clothes? Eren Jaeger just got everything, didn’t he?

 

“You look nice.” Eren said after eyeing him up and down.

 

It was just out of politeness, Levi knew. But then again, since when did he and Eren need to exchange pleasantries? His face heated up. Why was he feeling like a girl getting complimented by her prom date? This was so embarrassing. _Stay cool Levi. Stay cool._ He cleared his throat.

 

“Thanks. Look like you do have something beside your suits after all.”

 

“Do you like it? ‘Cause you’re blushing pretty hard you know.” Eren cocked his head to the side, acting innocent.

 

“No I’m not!” Levi shouted, turned around to hide his heated cheeks. He heard Eren chuckle as the older man follow behind him out of the lobby. _Real smooth Levi. Way to start a day._

 

“Which one do you want to try first?” Eren asked while looking at the paper map in his hand. “Roller coaster?”

 

“Okay.” Levi was so giddy now. He’d only seen roller coaster in advertisements on TV and Internet. This was his first time seeing something so colossal in person.

 

A lot of people were waiting, but the line shortened quickly. Screams filled the air whenever the ride went downwards and Levi wondered if he had made the wrong choice.

 

_“That was scary as fuck. My legs are shaking now.”_

_“…didn’t lie when they said this one is one of the best!”_

_“… I feel like I’m going to vomit.”_

It was their turn next and Levi felt as if his heart was in his neck, beating furiously. He turned to Eren. “Can we ride this later?”

 

“Why? We’ve waited so long… Are you scared?” The taller man asked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll sit next to you.” And then Levi was pulled forward by his wrist toward the ride. Eren didn’t give him a chance to protest, pushing him down onto the seat and sat down beside, preventing him from stepping out of the ride.

 

The safety bars lowered and Levi knew there was no escaping from this. The roller coaster train slowly left its station. It continued to go upward until his upper body was parallel with the ground. Levi squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the bar so tight his knuckles turned white.  

 

“Don’t close your eyes. It’s a waste don’t you think?” Eren’s deep voice boomed through the wind. Levi opened his eyes and all he could see was clear blue sky. He glanced to his side. Everything was so tiny up here; they were close to the top. He wasn’t scared of height in general. It was just the feeling of dropping down so fast that made him uncomfortable.

 

“If you’re scared, just hold my hand.” Eren showed his hand to Levi. This must be his joke. They weren’t in one of those cheesy drama, damn it!

 

“I’m not a girl you know.” Levi glared at him. It was a miracle that his voice didn’t waver. They reached the top and the train suddenly stopped mid-air. Levi could hear exciting voices of the passengers behind him. Someone begged to get off the ride, which just added to his anxiety. Levi gulped audibly, fingers wrapping around the metal bar even tighter.  

 

“Last chance Levi.” Eren eyed him amusedly, his hand still in offer.

 

“No, tha…” Levi didn’t even have the chance to finish his sentence before the roller coaster dropped down at a crazy speed.

 

Levi didn’t scream. He _couldn’t_ scream. Everything was a blur. Levi didn’t know whether he was upward or upside down anymore. He couldn’t even open his mouth. All he could hear was others’ screaming and Eren’s laughter right next to his ear. The ride continued to drop and turn for what seemed like centuries. It wasn’t that bad, actually. Although the ride left his limbs feeling like jelly afterwards, it was a new and fun experience that Levi didn’t regret one bit.

 

 

Eren was somewhere buying drinks for both of them, and while waiting, Levi found his mind drifting to the older man. Eren was like a different person today, not only his appearance but also his personality. It was still him but more carefree, more youthful. Levi had never seen him laugh and smile that much. At work, his smiles always held a sense of professionalism. And seeing his boss laugh (and scream) so freely today brought a smile to his face. Levi wanted to hear him laugh more. Eren now seemed to be “more real” to him, more than the perfect and professional CEO that everyone admired.   

 

The sudden chill on his cheek made him jerked back in surprise.

 

“Your mind still on that swing carousel huh?” Eren chuckle and handed him his drink.

 

“Thanks. Can’t blame me though, that thing was amazing.” Levi popped open his can and took a long gulp, sighing in relief as the cold beverage ran through his dry throat.  

 

“I could see that. You screamed like a maniac.” Eren smirked and sat down beside him.

 

“No I didn’t.” Did he really scream that much? Because he didn’t remember doing so.

 

“Yes you did.” Eren smirked and took a drink, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, everyone did.”

 

“Except you. You just laughed like it was nothing. You must have played this a thousand times already.” His bottom lip stuck out. He was _not_ pouting, mind you.   

 

“It’s been years since I last went to an amusement park actually.” He turned to look at Levi. “I should probably thank you for giving me a day off like this.” Eren grinned.

 

_Ba-dum._

 

 _What the fuck is wrong with me?_ His smile was just so genuine that it made Levi’s heart skipped a beat. _I didn’t see that coming so I was surprised. That was a normal reaction. Right?_ Levi regained his composure and assured himself. _It’s nothing._ He downed the remaining of his drink before clearing his throat.

 

“Well, you should thank the airline for not arranging the return flight until tonight. Beside, I also want to have some free time here too. I’ve never gone to an amusement park before.”

 

Eren seemed surprised at that. He suddenly stood up. Levi stared at him, bewildered. “What’s wrong?”

 

“You said this is your first time?” Levi nodded. “Well then, we must play everything in this park.” He waved the map in front of Levi. “We still have a lot left, so let’s go.” Eren turned around.

 

Levi stood up and followed behind, smiling.

 

His boss wasn’t bad at all.


	8. Chapter 8

"I... I don't think this is a good idea...". Levi hated the way his voice was shaking. His palms were sweating and his legs felt like lead as they move slowly down the dark hallway. The only source of light came from the flashlight in Eren's hand, who was just a few steps in front of him. With trembling fingers, he reached out to grip the sleeve of Eren's hoodie.

 

"Let's go back... We still have to pack and catch the plane...".His words came out as a whisper, though still clearly audible as the hallway was strangely quiet, with the only sound being their footsteps thumping on the carpet beneath.

 

The taller man stopped in his track and turned around to face him, chuckling.  "We still have a few hours left. This won't take long, I promise."

 

Levi gulped audibly. He followed Eren wordlessly, but his mind was running thousands miles per second. _Just get the hell out of here already!_ It was screaming at him. Why on the earth he had agreed to Eren's suggestion to go in here in the first place, Levi had no idea. Maybe it had been his still excited brain after the last ride that made the stupid decision. Truthfully, Levi hadn't feel anything at first, not when he’d agreed to step in the long queue waiting in front of the eerily dark building, not when they’d read over and over again the fly that stated "one of your most thrilling experiences", not even when the creepy words "Haunted House" had come into view. No, he hadn't been scared at all, not until he was greeted with the chilling air and unsettling silence coming from the hallway they were walking in.

 

As they reached the end of the hallway, which was more like a tunnel, Levi's heartbeat grew faster as a spine-chilling sound came out from the room behind the half closed curtain. His mind was working frantically to come up with a reason good enough to get him out of this.

 

"I... I have to go to the restroom." _Wow, how creative, Levi. That's all you could think of?_ He mentally cursed himself.

 

Because of the poorly lit hallway, he couldn't clearly make out Eren's face, but he definitely heard the smirk in the brunet's voice. "Are you scared?"

 

"...No." Levi replied in the calmest manner he could manage, though he was sure that every person with normal hearing ability could hear the dread drenching in his voice.

 

"Yeah sure." Eren rolled his eyes, or that was what Levi guessed he probably did. "C'mon, this will be fun." He said excitedly, grabbing Levi's slender wrist.

 

Levi swore he didn't think about the warmth of Eren hand seeping through the fabric of his sleeve as he was dragged toward the hell gate.

 

 

 _Breathe in.  Breathe out. In through the nose.  Out through the mouth. That's it, Levi. Keep going, there's no reason to be so scared._ Or that was what Levi kept telling himself. His plan to keep calm flew out of the window when they approached the next door. Apparently, this was what people called "interactive haunted house", meaning they had to finish missions themselves to get out of the house. So far they had finished three missions already... Okay, so only Eren did it. All what Levi had been doing was trailing after the taller man, hand gripping Eren's sleeve so hard that his knuckles turned white, and jumping in horror whenever the ghost appeared.

 

Much to Levi's relief, the missions had been easy enough, so they hadn't been stuck for too long in one room. Their first task had been to transfer two buckets full of water from a well to a nearby tank. Nothing had happened in that room, as well as in the second mission, where they had had to light a candle in the altar, although the chilling artificial breeze and the hair-raising background sound had been more than enough to make him turn around to look at his back every so often, just to make sure that some nasty ghost wouldn't jump on him at any time. He supposed the first two rooms had been just to set the mood, because in their second mission, which involved finding a hidden letter inside a coffin, a long-haired ghost had suddenly appeared right in front of them. The white-robed ghost had done nothing, except baring its bloody teeth at them a little. Well maybe not a little, as Levi had been scared shitless. He had been so terrified at that moment that he had actually screamed and hit the ghost across the face, hard enough to make them, whom he realized was a man just shortly after, yelp in pain. He clutched at his face for just a second before straitening up and continuing to stare at them creepily. Levi had then proceeded to apologize to the poor ghost, but the man had remained silent. He supposed it was normal. They were paid to stand there wordlessly and scare the shit out of people after all.

 

The nearer they got to the last door, the louder the thudding sound became. Levi unconsciously scooted closer to Eren, bracing himself for whatever was waiting for him behind the curtain. As they stepped into the dimly lit room, Levi realized where the sound came from. A black-haired ghost was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hand holding a knife chopping loudly on a wooden cutting board. _They're not real ghosts, Levi. Just normal people hired to scare you. This is just a game._ Levi chanted in his head, not one second leaving Eren's side. As the other man did as required, which was putting two spoonful of salt into a small tin (who designed these missions by the way?), Levi kept a close eye on the person sitting on the floor, so he could react fast enough just in case anything happened.

 

Suddenly her head snapped up. The chopping accelerated. Levi squeaked, snatching Eren's wrist. _Please don't run after us, please don't run after us._

 

"Just one second." Eren said as he closed the lid, putting everything in the order. Levi cursed as the ghost put the knife down and crawled towards them. His hand twitched, ready to pull the other man to the exit the second he finished his task.

 

"Run! Levi run!" His boss voice rang out; at the same time the ghost stood up and lunged at them.

 

Levi didn't know what he did next. His mind was a jumble of running and screaming, and Eren's laughter next to his ear. He didn't know if he was breathing or not. All he could focus on was running for his dear life towards the exit.

 

"That was fun." His boss breathed out after they made it outside. Levi panted, never in his life feeling more grateful to see the light again.

 

"You can release my wrist now, you know." Eren smirked down at him and Levi jerked his hand back as if it was burnt. His face reddened in embarrassment. "Fuck you." He mumbled.

 

The brown-haired man chuckled. "I didn't know you have such a good voice. I think I'm deaf now after all that screaming in there."

 

"Shut up." Levi glanced down at Eren's wrist, which had turned red with fingers mark printing on it. "Does it... hurt?" asked Levi gingerly.

 

"No, not really. But I won't mind an ice-cream as an apology though." His boss wiggled his eyebrows and smiled innocently.

 

"I'm not sorry. It’s for dragging me in there." He said stubbornly, rolling his eyes but headed to the ice-cream booth nonetheless, with Eren followed happily after.

 

 

It was just after sunset that they decided to call it a day. There was still some games Levi would love to try if they had more time, but overall he was satisfied, giddy even. It had been a long time since he had a whole day just having fun, not worrying about anything, and he had a feeling that it was the same to Eren. As a student, his day had been spent either on studying in the library or working at the coffee shop, save for some weekends going to the supermarket with Hanji, which had always ended in his plan for rest of the day being ruined, thanks to Hanji's insistence on him "having fun once in a while". Levi would always scold and act as if he was annoyed. But deep inside he was thankful, and he knew his friend knew that, too, for the woman never left him alone at weekends, even after they graduated and got their own jobs.

 

They stopped at a photo booth at the gate. It was more like a stand, with only a table in the front displaying numerous photos put in colorful frames. They seemed to have been taken randomly around the park when people hadn't notice. The young girl behind the table briefly looked at them before scanning the photos to locate theirs.

 

"Oh, it’s here!" She chirped cheerfully, picking up the frame in the middle.

 

It was a picture taken when they were dashing for the ride. Eren was grinning ear to ear while pulling a bewildered Levi along. Levi wondered how someone could manage to look so attractive while grinning like an idiot, whereas he himself looked like a dying fish, with eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

 

"No you didn't. You looked kinda cute, actually." Eren smirked as he observed the photo. Oh, so he must have said that aloud then. "We'll take it." His superior told the girl and proceeded to take out his wallet, not sparing Levi any second to protest.

 

She beamed at them. "Do you want to change into some other frames? We have some really nice ones for couples."

 

Blood rushed to his face at the girl's implication. Levi opened his mouth, but the other man cut in "This is fine, thanks." and handed her some bills, smiling oh-so-charmingly like he always did.

 

Eren didn't even make an attempt to correct her, which should have annoyed Levi to no end.

 

The problem was, it didn't.

 

* * *

 

Eren watched amusedly as Levi efficiently put everything on his desk back to their respective places. Over the past few months, he had learned about the younger man’s obsession for cleanliness. His desk at the end of the day always looked neat and clean, to the point it seemed like no one had ever used it at all. It really added to his charm, the way he would absentmindedly gather all the pens scattering on Eren’s desk and put them in the holder, or arrange the stack of documents until all the papers aligned when waiting for Eren to sign some paperwork. And Levi would blush and mumbled something about his desk being a total mess when Eren caught him doing so, though he still continued to do it every time he was in Eren’s office.

 

The phone screen lit up. A message. Levi was still in the middle of his quick “tidying up routine” before the meeting, and Eren really didn’t want to intrude into his secretary’s privacy. But it wasn’t his fault that he was blessed with the ability to read words upside down. And the fact that the text continued to scroll on the top bar of the phone didn’t help the situation either.

 

_[Next Friday, 10pm at Rose bar. Don’t forget.]_

Something about the message was off. It was curt and cold and didn’t look like coming from a friend at all. And it wasn’t exactly what he called polite either. But Eren decided it was not his place to judge, though a troubled feeling still weighed at the bottom of his gut.

 

Levi stood up, grabbing his phone along with the documents for the meeting and Eren quickly averted his gaze. From the corner of his eye, he saw the younger man frown as he read the text, lips pressed together slightly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, just those annoying spam mails.”

 

Eren raised an eyebrow. That looked nothing like a regular spam mail. But it wasn’t his business, so he didn’t push. Beside, what was he supposed to say anyway? “Oh, but I just read your message and it’s weird and doesn’t look like spam at all.”? He couldn’t imagine what Levi would do if he knew Eren had sneaked a look at his phone.

 

So he just nodded and wordlessly headed for the elevator, knowing Levi would tag along like he always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The haunted house in this chapter is based on that in a Korean show that I've seen. It's not exactly the same but yeah, it's pretty scary, to me at least, since I'm not really good with those horror or ghost things to begin with.  
> Anyway, thank you for all your support :D All your kudos and comments are really appreciated <3


	9. Chapter 9

The soft sound of instrumental music playing under the chattering noise did little to ease Levi’s discomfort. Five minutes into the event and Levi was ready to go home. In fact, he had tried to sneak out from the emergency exit, but somehow Petra saw and had been since always next to him, lest he escape again.

 

Levi had never been a people person. He sucked at communicating and expressing his thoughts, so most of the time he came off as a cold and rude person, which eventually drove people away. But that didn’t mean he was an isolated man hiding in his own little world. He just wasn’t the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve and went around chattering; he was more of the listening type. And Levi actually enjoyed going out and doing, well, friend-things with his few friends, as long as he wasn’t the center of attention. There was one time in Levi’s high school’s days, his group had to do a presentation and he was chosen as the speaker. He’d spent a whole night practicing in front of the mirror, but when all of his classmates’ eyes were on him, the raven suddenly freaked out and forgot what he was supposed to say and even started to stutter. That was when Hanji came to the rescue and helped him out of the embarrassing situation, and then they become close friends, but that was beside the point.

 

Through time, it eventually got better but ever since that incident, Levi made a point to stay behind the spotlight as much as he could. He took on the task of preparing the presentations when all the speakings were on Hanji. All in all, the two of them actually made a good team. With his careful, throughout researches and Hanji’s captivating presentation, they almost always got the highest mark from teachers.

 

Although he didn’t say it out loud, Levi actually admired those who are outspoken, who could freely and clearly express themselves without leaving the impression of being rude and snarky. Hanji sometimes scared people away with her over-enthusiasism, but she always managed to lift up the mood whenever she was in the room. And Eren, who was now talking and smiling like the smooth bastard he was.

 

The Jaeger family came. Levi knew that because the hall suddenly became quiet. Grisha Jaeger was a stoic man, with a solemn and powerful aura around him. His wife, however, was in total contrast, with brown hair done up and smiling brightly. Now Levi knew where Eren’s charming smile came from, because he looked just like his mother. Standing next to them was a young woman. She was wearing a strapless maroon red dress that hugged her curves tightly, showing her slender shoulders. Silky black hair that stopped just above her shoulder, framing her attractive face. Levi wasn’t even into women, but he had to admit that she was indeed beautiful.

 

She seemed to be quite close with Eren, which suddenly made Levi heart drop a bit. Eren had a partner already, so what? It wasn’t like he had feelings for him or anything. So why was he feeling like this? Like he was disappointed. Because Eren had a girlfriend? Because he wasn’t even into men? _Stop being stupid._ Levi knew better than to develop romantic feelings toward his superior. He hadn’t before, and he wouldn’t start now, not ever.

 

The noise died down when everyone was seated, and Eren stepped on the stage. He knocked on the microphone lightly to check before speaking, voice booming in the room.

 

“Good evening, everyone.” He paused. “Actually, seeing everyone today all smile so brightly, it was a _great_ evening. So, let me start again. Great evening, everyone.”

 

Laughter echoed in the room. Levi chuckled. This man really knew how to satisfy people’s ears.

 

“I know you are all hungry, so I’ll make this speech as short as possible.” He smiled. “First, I’d like to thank all of you for spending your time to attend our company’s annual dinner today. This event is our company’s tradition to…” The brunet continued with his low voice and charming manner.

 

“…And last but not least, I want to express my gratitude to our staff. Thank you, for being true professionals, for your devotion to our company. Without you, Sina Corporation would never see this day. You’ve greatly contributed to our company’s success. And we want you to know that, everyone of you is an irreplaceable part of our big family. We still have a long way to go, and I hope to see all of you here again next years. Again, thank you, and enjoy your evening.”

 

* * *

  

After scanning the lobby for the fifth time, Eren still hadn’t caught sight of a certain black-haired man. Just ten minutes ago, Levi had still been sitting between Petra and Nanaba, lips curling into a rare smile at whatever the HR staffs had been saying. Now the younger man was nowhere to be seen. Was the party so boring that Levi just decided he couldn’t stay any longer and left? From the time working together, Eren knew that Levi wasn’t exactly talkative or outgoing, and the dinner may be too uncomfortable for him to linger around. It was none of his business, really. But a tiny part of him had hoped that the raven would stay around a bit longer so that Eren could find an excuse to drive him home.

 

“Are you looking for someone?” Mikasa asked him.

 

“Um, no, it’s just…” Just what? His mind was blank.

 

“Who is it?” She pressed, stubbornly.

 

Eren sighed in defeat. Mikasa wouldn’t stop until she was satisfied with his answer. “It’s just my secretary.”

 

“Why? Something’s wrong?”

 

“No. He suddenly disappeared. That’s all.”

 

“Eren” The black-haired woman narrowed her eyes, voice stern. “Do you like him?”

 

Eren choked on his wine.  

 

“Where did you get that? Our relationship is purely professional!”

 

Mikasa shrugged casually. “Geez. Why are you getting so defensive? I’m just asking. There were like hundreds of people here, and you noticed that your secretary was gone.” She looked at him again. “You haven’t answered my question. Do you like him?”

 

Mikasa’s eyes were sharp and Eren felt himself flustered under her gaze. “No?” It came out like a question, and he hated himself for how uncertain it seemed.

 

Mikasa continued to stare at him piercingly. Eren squirmed in his sit. If look could materialize then he definitely felt like a thousand needles prickling at his skin. “Maybe… a _little_ bit, yeah.” He admitted, embarrassed. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, for fuck’s sake. So why was he feeling like a schoolboy confessing to his crush? And Mikasa wasn’t even his crush. “What?” He hissed when the woman raised her thin eyebrows, seemingly demanding more.

 

“Just a little bit?” Her voice turned mischievous. Damn this woman and her ability to read his mind. “Tell me.” She leaned toward him, even used her forefinger to poke at him. Really? Where had the calm and indifferent woman he knew gone to? Sitting next to him now was a girl starving for gossip. Eren sighed. This was the hidden side of his sister that would come out whenever it came to his love life. Annoying as it was, he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. Maybe it was a sister thing.

 

“Okay I like him.” Eren mumbled quickly, blood rushed to his face. He was nearly thirty god damnit!

 

 “So what is he like?”

 

If he thought Mikasa was satisfied, he was miserably wrong. Eren knew he couldn’t possibly get out of this, so he’d better tell her the truth, and trust her not to spill shit about him to other people.

 

“He’s… nice. Black hair and…he’s a lot like you really.”

 

“Me? You mean he looks beautiful and elegant and sexy?”

 

“Hell no!” Eren laughed. “I mean he always looks mean and constipated, like you. Ouch! Why are you hitting me?”

 

Mikasa smirked. “Because you’re a jerk, that’s what.”

 

* * *

  

Levi stepped in the dimly lit private room behind the bar. It was relatively small and decorated in a simple way, with wooden floor and plain beige wall. There was a set of black couches in the middle of the room along with matching cushions. He cautiously took a seat across the man in the room, scrunching his nose at the reek of cigarettes and alcohol.

 

“Long time no see, princess.”  

 

“Don’t fucking call me that.” Levi gritted through his teeth.

 

The man smirked and took a long drag of cigarette. Thomas was an average looking guy, if somewhat shabby. He was big, but not really muscular. He has tanned skin, grey eyes and his dirty blond locks could really use a trim. Behind him were five bulky guys, arms folding in front of their chests, ready for his orders.

 

Levi wasted no time in pulling out a paper sheet and a stack of cash from his bag, putting them on the table.

 

“Straight to the business already, eh?” Thomas tucked the cigarette between his yellowed teeth and started counting the money. Once done, he signed on the paper and pushed it forward. Levi wordlessly put it in his bag, standing up.

 

“Going already, beautiful?”

 

Levi cringed at the nickname, turning around and cocking his head to the side. “Is there something else?”

 

Thomas drained his shot glass, lips stretching into a lazy grin. “Sit down, sit down. We’ll talk.”

 

* * *

  

“Thank you for coming!”

 

As the last guest left the lobby, Eren’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID.

 

“Uncle Hannes?”

 

 _“Hey Eren! Are you still awake?”_ A cheerful voice rang from the other end.

 

“How can I be sleeping this early?” He chuckled.

 

 _“Stop picking at me. It’s just my way of saying ‘hello’, you know that.”_ He continued. _“Anyway, I’m cleaning my storeroom, and there’s some of your mother’s old stuff here. Can you drop by some time and pick them up?”_

“Yeah, of course.” Eren ran through his schedule in his head. “When can I come there?”

 

_“Anytime is fine. Just call me before you go.”_

 

“How about right now? I have nothing to do now anyway.” He checked the watch, still pretty early.

 

_“That’s fine. I’m at my bar. You still remember the address right?”_

 

 

Eren rummaged through what seemed like hundreds of boxes in all sizes piling in the room, looking for the box with his mother’s name on it. He wondered when this mess would actually be cleaned. There was absolutely no free place in the room, which gave him a hard time finding somewhere to put his foot on, and he could practically see the dust flying in the air as he lifted the boxes.

 

The box he was looking for was in the corner of the room, with the word ‘Carla’ written messily on it. Eren almost overlooked it, since the word was barely legible. And here he thought he had the worst handwriting in the family.

 

Eren blew on the box and immediately regretted his action. Dust got everywhere, his nose, his eyes, and his mouth. He lifted it up, careful not to get the dust on his shirt, and leaved the room.   

There was loud noise coming from one of the rooms in the hallway. Something was happening, but it wasn’t his business, and he wasn’t interested in what the people in that room were doing, so he carried on doing his job. But then there was a sound of glass broken. Eren stopped in mid-track, brows furrowed. _Something_ was happening.

 

Eren turned back to that particular room. The door was not fully closed. There was a small gap between the wooden door and the doorframe, providing him with a limited vision into what was in the room. Eren put the box down and peered in.

 

A man, who seemed to be the boss, was standing near the couch with a broken empty bottle in his hand. Just a few steps from him were four or five other men hunching over something. Or rather, someone. Another man was pinned on the ground, face down. He had jet black hair and was rather petite and…

  

“Levi?”


	10. Chapter 10

“What? But we agreed that I would pay you back within one year, and it has just been two month!”

 

“Well, I changed my mind.” Thomas shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back on the couch.

 

“How on the earth can I find that much money in such a short time?” His hands curled into tight fists under the table. Levi had already dug out the last penny of his savings. He would pay it back, eventually, but next month?

 

“I don’t care. Borrow someone, or…” he leaned forward “I have another way for you to earn money, real fast…”

 

Something smelt fishy here. Levi knew that whatever Thomas was going to suggest, he wouldn’t do it. “What is it?” He asked anyway, out of curiosity.

 

“Something pleasant for both of us. You just have to use this…” a finger reached out to lift Levi’s chin up “… and this.” The finger trailed downward his throat and collarbones.

 

“No.” Levi swatted the man’s roaming finger away. “And don’t touch me.” He stood up to leave but Thomas immediately rounded the coffee table, standing between him and the exit. He leaned in so close that Levi could feel his breath on his face. It reeked of cigarette and alcohol and whatever he had had for dinner. Levi cringed in disgust, scooting back until the back of his knees hit the couch.

 

“I’ll let you decide the price for each time. How about that?”

 

“I’ll have your money ready in one month. Now get out of my way.” Levi knew better than to fall for Thomas’s trap. He still didn’t know how he could acquire the cash, but he would figure it out.

 

“Just a few nights and I’ll leave you alone. You don’t have to pay that old man’s debt anymore.” One of his hands moved down and squeezed the raven’s ass.

 

Levi jerked away. “I said no. And stay the fuck away from me.”

 

The other only edged closer, whispering right next to his ear. “I’d love to hear that mouth of yours working on the bed. You want it, don’t even deny.” His hand roamed up and down Levi’s thigh.

 

Hands clenched, Levi threw a punch at Thomas’s stubbled face, blood pumping loudly in his ears. “Which fucking part of ‘stay away from me’ don’t you fucking understand?” He gritted through his teeth, turning to head for the door.

 

The blond wiped away the blood on the corner of his mouth. “You’re a fierce little thing, aren’t you?” He chuckled darkly, looking at the ‘bodyguards’ and nodded.

 

Two men lunged forward and grabbed Levi by the shoulder. He elbowed one man in the gut and then turned around to strike at the other’s face. The bulky guy quickly gained his composure and gripped at Levi’s neck painfully. Dots danced in his vision at the sudden cut of oxygen, but he tried to stay focused and kicked at the man lower region as hard as he could.

 

Not stopping for one second, Levi swung his fist, just barely dodging a blow to his head, and then crouched down to swipe another man’s feet off the ground. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. The fight continued in a blur of motions, with Levi swinging and punching and dodging without thinking. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples. For a person his size, Levi was exceptionally strong. Nevertheless, taking on five men twice his size at the same time had begun to take its toll on him. Levi could hear his breath become ragged and feel his punches get weaker. He ducked down just in time to avoid a fist aimed directly at his face.

 

Levi managed to twist a man’s wrist thrusting at his neck when suddenly something hard collided with the back of his neck. Searing pain shot through his neck down to his spine. Levi’s vision became white for a moment, and then he was falling, face first onto the carpeted floor. It seemed to happen in slow motion, yet he couldn’t do anything to prevent it. His limbs went numb and his head throbbed painfully.

 

He couldn’t move. His hands, his feet and his torso were held firmly in place. His cheek was pressed down on the carpet. _Gross._ If there was one thing Levi loathed, it was filth. Beaten up or not, he really didn’t want to get intimate with the floor.

 

A foot grinded on his back, and he knew this was not the time to think about the dirt that was definitely staining his shirt. The shoe pressed harder till the point it was hard for him to breathe. Levi struggled to glare at the man above him from the corner of his eye.

 

“I was hoping you would cooperate nicely.” Thomas’s voice was dripping with fake gentleness, making Levi feel nauseous. A broken wine bottle came into his vision. Levi started to panic a little. _He wouldn’t, would he?_ “But seems like you need some… convincing.” He crouched down, snatching a handful of Levi’s black locks and jerked his head backwards. Levi’s neck screamed in protest at the unnatural position, but he pressed his lips into a firm line, face unwavering.

 

“You have a pretty face, princess. I hate to scar this face of your. But...” He caressed Levi’s face, thumb swiping over his now chapped lips. “…like they say, ‘pain is the best teacher’.”

 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Thomas’s hand move. Knowing he couldn’t get out of this without blood spilled, Levi wrenched his eyes shut, preparing himself for what was about to come.

 

Nothing.

 

Nothing happened, only a gasp followed by a thumping sound. Levi gingerly opened his eyes to see Thomas lying on the floor, face down, the bottle rolling out of his hand, hitting the wall with a clink.

 

The hands holding him down loosened and then disappeared. Of course they had to protect their boss from whoever was attacking him. Levi sat up, neck still throbbing slightly, watching the chaos in front of him with confusion. His savior was thrashing around between the men. He was strong, definitely, but not skilled, Levi could tell. His movements were powerful but lacked gracefulness. He didn’t seem like someone who knew much about martial arts, and was fighting using only muscle strength.

 

Suddenly, a too familiar face appeared in front of him, and Levi was hauled to his feet faster than he could blink. They were out of the room in seconds, ignoring all the shouts and curses behind.

 

Not until the two of them were in the safety of Eren’s shiny car did Levi let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He turned around to make sure they weren’t followed. Thomas didn’t need to, because Levi would have to meet them eventually to return the money. His gut sank at the thought. Who knew what they would do, they were fucking loan sharks after all, and Levi had seen enough movies to know what would happen if he had his way.

 

“You okay?” A low voice broke the silence. And it suddenly dawned on him that Eren Jaeger, his boss, had just rescued him from the loan sharks. _Oh well, it could be worse._

“Yeah.” Levi bit his bottom lip, still a little shaken. “Thanks… for saving me there.” Eren turned to look at him with unreadable green eyes that seemed to glow under the street light. Only then did Levi notice a gash right above his eyebrow. “You’re bleeding.”

 

“It’s fine, just a small scratch.” Eren pulled up at Levi’s complex building’s parking lot. The raven unfastened the seatbelts. “Come inside. I’ll patch you up.”

 

 

Eren reached for the first-aid kit in Levi hand, but the younger man jerked it out of the way. “Just sit still and let me do my job.” He sat down on the brown couch, thinking something before looked at the taller man. “Get down on the floor.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Sit on the floor, you’re so fucking tall. I don’t want sore arms tomorrow.” He opened the kit and pulled out a pack of cotton balls, some gauze and a bottle of antiseptic. He rarely got hurt nowadays, but still kept a kit full of supply just in case.

 

Eren slid down on the floor, sitting cross-legged facing Levi. He scooted closer until his knees touch the couch, hands awkwardly in his lap. Eren felt the sudden urge to wrap his hand around the raven. He was just so cute, sitting above him like that. Even on the couch, Levi wasn’t much taller than Eren. And the way he told him to sit on the floor, even Eren could practically hear the pout in his tone, and he wasn’t a sensitive person to begin with. Yes, Levi was short, but he was like 160 centimeters of perfection and cuteness and- oh god, Eren was screwed.

 

“Why are you smiling?” Levi narrowed his eyes as he dabbed the cotton ball at the gash on his forehead.

 

Eren winced at the burning sensation but didn’t stop smiling. “Am I? Well, I had a good day.” He finally got to see Levi’s house and had him treating his wound. If it wasn’t enough to make him smile, then probably nothing could.

 

Levi raised an eyebrow. “I can’t see how a day ending with a bleeding wound on your forehead can be called ‘good’, but if you say so.” He continued to dab antiseptic at the wound, blowing gently every now and then when he noticed Eren winced. “There there, just a little bit longer.” He unconsciously coaxed his boss like he would do to Isabel and Farlan when they were little.

 

As Levi finished bandaging up the wound, he noticed it was raining outside. It might be a storm, since he could hear the wind howling through the windows and tree branches tapping against the glass.

 

“Um, I should get going. Thanks.” Eren stood up awkwardly, grabbing his coat on the couch.

 

“Actually...just stay here for the night. It’s almost midnight, and it’s raining pretty hard, driving in this weather is dangerous.” Levi suddenly felt self-conscious. His apartment was small and old and nowhere near as fancy as Eren’s bedroom at the company. He was sure his boss wouldn’t like the idea of spending his night here.

 

“Really?” Eren eyes brightened up. He quickly cleared his throat. “I mean, if you don’t mind.” He tried to keep his usual cool demeanor, but failed miserably with a wide grin plastered on his face.

 

“If I did, I wouldn’t have offered.” He turned away, sauntering towards his bedroom, hiding the blush that crept up his face as the thought that Eren seemed to like the idea of staying in his apartment. “Follow me, I’ll find you something to wear.”

 

 

“You live here alone?”

 

“No, I live with my two cousins, but they’re on a trip now.” He rummaged through Farlan’s wardrobe, finding something suitable, because there was no way Eren would fit in his clothes.

 

Eren’s phone rang.

 

“Mika?... Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to call you…. I’m at a colleague’s house… I think I’m staying here for the night… Yeah, tell mom and dad I’ll be home tomorrow… ‘kay, g’night…”

 

“Your girlfriend?” Levi asked though he had already known the answer. Judging by the way she had come with the Jaeger family – and lived with them, obviously from the phone call - she was probably his wife or fiancé already. The thought brought a strange feeling inside his chest, just like at the dinner earlier.

 

Eren looked up from his phone, cocking his head and smiling. “Why do you think she’s my girlfriend?”

 

“I guess?”

 

The brunet sat down on the bed, leaning back on his hands. “Mikasa’s my sister.”

 

He hummed in answer, then looked at his boss questioningly. “She doesn’t look like you or your parents at all.”

 

“She’s adopted.” He shrugged, and a tiny, _really_ tiny part of Levi felt relieved. Why, he didn’t even know himself. “And for your information, I’m still on the market.” He smirked.

 

“I didn’t ask you that.” Levi pulled out from the wardrobe a loose t-shirt and a pajama pants, as well as a towel and a new toothbrush. “Bathroom to the left. Stand in the tub while you wash, don’t get water on the floor.” Levi handed him the pile. “And don’t get the bandage wet.”

 

“Yes sir!” Eren saluted with a fist on his chest, lips stretching into a big grin. Levi rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back guys! :D  
> I'm so sorry I made you wait for so long (how many times have I said this? T.T but I really mean it). Are you guys still with me?  
> Actually I wanted to update a lot sooner than this, I really don't want to leave you hanging at all, but a lot things happened in the past few months and I didn't have the time to write a new chapter T.T I hope you will understand.  
> I'm still quite busy right now, so if I can't update soon, please don't be mad. T.T I'm gonna do my best to finish this fic, it's my first longfic after all :D  
> And a really really big THANK YOU for those who are still reading my fic <3 I really appreciate it and I hope you guys will stick with me till the end.  
> Love <3


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